Kang Kung Belacan
- Snuggly Duckling
- Nov 18, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 24, 2021
Kangkung belacan, a Malaysian and Indonesian dish of stir-fried water spinach with fermented shrimp paste (belacan), is one of our favorite leafy green recipes.
It is also very popular locally in Singapore with many Chinese & Malay families.
WHAT IS KANG KUNG?
Kang Kung is the Malay / Indonesian term for water spinach, a long, leafy green vegetable with hollow stems readily available for most Chinese grocery stores.
WHAT IS BELACAN?
Belacan is a paste made with fermented dried shrimp. It is then dried further and sold in solid blocks or in paste form.
Called shrimp paste in English, it is an indispensable ingredient in the South East Asian kitchen. It is brimming with strong, umami notes, and even the slightest amount adds an amazing depth to a dish.
Belacan is naturally known by various other names in the region, and differs ever so slightly in make up. However, the various shrimp pastes in South East Asia can be used interchangeably. I do it all the time, and I am South East Asian, amongst other things!
Called kapi in Thai and terasi in Indonesian, if you didn’t grow up with it, you’re either going to love it or hate it!
The word belacan is in Malay, and like most Malay words, it is pronounced as it is spelled.
Buh – lah – chan (silent h in the first 2).
bə (like the U in fur)
lʌ (do re mi far so LA)
chʌn (as above. In fact, belachan was the old spelling
How to Serve Kangkung Belacan
Kangkung belacan is traditionally served as a side dish with rice, along with other dishes like curries and stews or other stir-fries. It can also be served with noodles, there really are no hard and fast rules.
DEVELOPING THIS RECIPE WITH OUR BELACAN SAUCE
This kangkung belacan recipe builds off of our recipe for Belacan Sauce, a Malaysian-style sambal with dried belacan as well as dried shrimp, chilies, shallots, and garlic.
Comments