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Plecing kangkung (spicy water spinach, Lombok): photo of the dish
Illustrative photo: Midori — CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Salads & starters

Plecing kangkung (spicy water spinach, Lombok)

A warm salad of blanched water spinach topped with a raw tomato sambal, dried shrimp paste and peanuts, typical of the island of Lombok. It traditionally accompanies grilled chicken, ayam bakar.

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Ingredients

Ingredients

Sambal

Spices & seasoning

Optional extras

On the side

Instructions

  1. Cut the kangkung into 5 cm lengths, keeping only the tender stems and leaves.
  2. Bring salted water to the boil, then plunge the kangkung and soybean sprouts in for 1 minute. Drain and refresh under cold water.
  3. Pound the chilli, garlic and a pinch of salt in a mortar, then add the shrimp paste and pound again.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes and crush them roughly to make a rustic sambal.
  5. Season with lime juice and a spoonful of oil, then toss the sambal with the drained vegetables.
  6. Roughly crush the peanuts and scatter them over the salad just before serving.

Variations and tips

Without shrimp paste. For a vegan version that stays close to the flavour, replace the shrimp paste with a spoonful of fermented soy sauce and a pinch of salt.

With what's available here. Replace the kangkung with spinach or blanched chard leaves; soybean sprouts can be found in most Asian grocers.

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Original Ecomely recipe.