INGREDIENTS :
3 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1½ tsp sugar
salt
2 tbsp dried shrimp
3 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
6 shallots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan [dried shrimp paste]
[Items in red to be ground or blended]
To Prepare :
Soak dried prawns in hot boiling water till softened, drain, reserve some of the liquid
Using a mortar & pestle or blender, grind the softened dried prawns, shallots, garlic, belacan, chili paste into a chunky paste
Heat wok on high, add 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil, stir-fry the paste for 1-2 mins, reduce heat cook until quite toasted and turns a shade darker - careful not to burn!
Add the kangkung, sugar, and salt if necessary [*Note: belacan is salty]
Stir-fry on high heat, about 2-3 mins
Dish onto a serving dish while it is still quite crisp and serve hot immediately
Variation : Other suitable vegetables for this 'Belacan' recipe: Asparagus, Okra [Ladies fingers], Spinach, Long beans [also called Snake beans or Yard-long beans], Green beans, Eggplant, [Sabah] Wild Jungle Ferns and Broccolini. What is Broccolini? Broccolini, or it's highbrow name "Asparation," is a cross between Broccoli and Chinese Kale [Kai Lan or Gai Lan]. It is also marketed as "Baby Broccoli" - a hybrid vegetable that is tender, sweet, slightly peppery and completely edible, from slim stems to broccoli-like head of flowering buds.
