Wok-Fried Water Spinach with Shrimp Paste
Makan Tengah: The Weeknight Communal Table
If there’s one aroma that defines an Indonesian kitchen at dusk, it’s the deeply pungent, intoxicating hit of fermented shrimp paste meeting hot oil. For first-generation kids, it was the scent that meant dinner was ready—and maybe the one you hoped your non-Asian friends wouldn't question too closely. Today, that savory funk is pure, unadulterated nostalgia. This is the quintessential comfort vegetable, equally at home in a humble roadside stall as it is in a sprawling Jakarta seafood joint. The secret to nailing it isn't a restaurant-grade wok; it's snapping the hollow stems by hand for a superior crunch, and ensuring the greens are aggressively dry before they hit the blistering heat.
Before you start
Toast the shrimp paste.
If you buy raw block terasi, you must toast it before using it in the spice paste. Wrap a small piece in aluminum foil and press it in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes until deeply fragrant. Alternatively, you can seek out pre-roasted shrimp paste powder.
Ingredients
- water spinach1 lb
- shallots5 med
- garlic3 large cloves
- Fresno or red jalapeño chilies2 med
- Thai bird's eye chilies2 small
- Indonesian shrimp paste (terasi) or belacan1 tsp
- oyster sauce1 1/2 tbsp
- kecap manis1 tbsp
- water1 tbsp
- sugar1/2 tsp
- mushroom bouillon or MSG1/4 tsp
- neutral cooking oil3 tbsp
- tomato1/2 small
Method
- 01
Whisk the sauces together.
In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce, kecap manis, water, sugar, and mushroom bouillon.
- 02
Pulse the aromatics into a paste.
In a traditional kitchen, you’d grind this with a mortar and pestle to release the oils. For a weeknight, toss the shallots, garlic, Fresno chilies, bird's eye chilies, and toasted shrimp paste into a mini food processor and pulse until it forms a chunky, wet paste.
- 03
Sauté the spice paste until fragrant.
Turn on your exhaust fan. Heat a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once shimmering, add the spice paste. Sauté continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until the harsh, raw smell of the shrimp paste transforms into a deep, roasted savory aroma. Toss in the tomato wedges for 30 seconds.
- 04
Flash-fry the water spinach.
Crank the heat to the absolute maximum. Drop in the aggressively dried water spinach all at once and immediately pour the sauce mixture over the top. Toss rapidly to coat the leaves in the hot oil and spice paste. If the stems are thick, cover with a tight-fitting lid for exactly 30 to 45 seconds to trap the steam and wilt the leaves without losing their color.
- 05
Serve immediately.
Remove the lid and give it one final toss. The leaves should be a vibrant emerald green and the stems should still have a definitive snap. Immediately transfer everything, juices included, to a serving platter. Don't let it sit in the hot pan or it will turn brown.
Notes
Hand-snap the stems.
Put away your knife. Snapping the hollow stems by hand follows the natural fibers of the plant, resulting in a better crunch and allowing the savory sauce to seep inside the tubes.
Water is the enemy.
Wash your greens thoroughly, but dry them obsessively using a salad spinner or paper towels. If they go into the pan wet, the wok's temperature drops and the spinach boils into a brown, mushy mess.
Do not substitute standard spinach.
True kangkung has a hollow, crunchy stem that stands up to high heat. Regular American spinach will instantly disintegrate into mush under these cooking conditions.
From Suburban Sambal.