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Adobong kangkong
Braised water spinach
Water spinach braised Filipino adobo-style in cane vinegar, soy, garlic and bay
In Manila and across Luzon, adobong kangkong is the cheap green that sits in a tray at the carinderia, the roadside canteen where office workers and jeepney drivers point at two or three dishes to go with their rice. It is not a stir-fry in the Chinese or Malay sense: the water spinach is cooked briefly in an adobo base of cane vinegar, soy sauce, bay and cracked pepper, so the stems stay crunchy while the leaves soak up a sharp, salty, garlicky sauce that runs into the rice. It costs very little, takes ten minutes and is often the only vegetable on a weekday plate. Chef's tip: let the vinegar boil for a full minute before you stir anything, the way Filipino cooks do; the raw, harsh edge cooks off and the sauce turns mellow.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 14 oz water spinach (kangkong)stems cut into 5 cm lengths, leaves kept separate
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garliccrushed and roughly chopped
- 1 onionsmall, sliced
- 3 tbsp cane vinegaror white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp black peppercornscoarsely cracked
- 1 tsp sugar
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Fresh ingredients (3)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Wash 14 oz water spinach (kangkong) in a big bowl of cold water, lifting it out so grit stays behind. Keep the thick stems and the leafy tops in two piles; the stems need a head start.
Step 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok or wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add 6 cloves garlic and fry, stirring, until pale gold and smelling nutty, about 1 minute. Add 1 onion and cook until it softens, 2 minutes.
3 minStep 3: Pour in 3 tbsp cane vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce and ¼ cup water, drop in 2 bay leaves and ½ tsp black peppercorns, and bring to the boil. Do not stir for 1 minute: the sharp smell of vinegar will soften noticeably. The common mistake is stirring straight away, which locks in a raw, sour taste.
1 minStep 4: Add the kangkong stems and 1 tsp sugar, turn the heat to high and toss for 2 minutes until the stems turn bright green but still snap.
2 minStep 5: Add the leaves and toss for 1 minute more, just until they wilt and look glossy. Taste the sauce: it should be sour first, then salty. Remove the bay leaves and serve at once with rice, spooning the sauce over.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 8 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does adobong kangkong take?
- About 18 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 8 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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