One vegetable dish that most Malaysians simply can’t do without is belacan yam leaf, or as it is popularly known, kangkung belacan.

The key ingredient in this signature Malaysian veggie dish is none other than belacan or shrimp paste, which in itself, is an essential flavoring medium in Southeast Asian cooking.

Strong, pungent, yet aromatic at the same time, the pairing of belacan with vegetables is probably one of the most interesting stir-fried veggies around.

Pulling off this dish to perfection is not easy. The wok hei or breath of the wok is just as crucial as the timing; a little too much wok hei or a tad too long in the wok can render the dish a complete failure.

However, it’s well worth a try because you probably can’t find another vegetable dish as intriguing or delicious as this one.

Ingredients

• 1 box yam leaf or water spinach, approximately 300g
• 1 tablespoon belacan or shrimp paste
• 2 red bird’s eye chilies or 1 regular red chili, with seeds removed and thinly cut
• 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon roasted chili paste
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp
• 3 dashes fish sauce

Roasted chili paste

• 1 handful of dried chilies
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• Water

Method

• Grind the dried chilies and cooking oil in a blender. Then. add a little water while blending.
• Heat the wok, pour some cooking oil and stir-fry the chili paste for about three minutes. Set aside once complete.
• Soak the dried shrimp in warm water for 10 minutes, then pound them using mortar and pestle. Set aside once complete.
• Cut the stems of the yam leaf and keep the tender part of the stems only. Next, rinse the stems with cold water and then set aside.
• Fire up the wok to high heat and add the cooking oil. Wait till smoke comes out from the wok and then add in the chopped garlic.
• Do a quick stir, add in the belacan, dried shrimp, and roasted chili paste and continue stirring.
• As soon as you smell the pungent aroma of belacan, toss in the yam leaf and stir continuously until the leaves start to wilt.
• Add in a few dashes of fish sauce and continue stirring (make sure the color of the vegetable remains green).
• Dish up and serve hot.

Note

• In the US, sweet potato leaf is marketed as yam leaf. If you use water spinach, the recipe works the same. Dried shrimps should complement the belacan instead of competing with it, so you don’t want to use too much of them.
• Kangkung belacan also pairs well with bok choy chicken, braised bean curd with mushrooms, braised pork belly in soy sauce, chicken Wontons

This recipe can be found in Rasa Malaysia.

Low Bee Yinn is a food blogger and cookbook author.