Thursday, December 18, 2014

Try This Simple, Delicious Kangkong (Water Spinach) and Garlic Recipe

Water Spinach (Kangkong) ingredients

Kangkong (or Water Spinach) is a very popular vegetable not only in the Philippines but around the entire Asia-Pacific region. It is one of the cheapest vegetables around because it's a 'pest' that can practically grow anywhere. Asians eventually found out that when you saute Kangkong in garlic, some fish sauce (patis), and oyster sauce, it becomes a really delicious dish that explodes with flavor. I personally love cooking this dish because it's cheap, nutritious, and it's so easy to make.

Before I begin, I just want to say that the picture on top is only for show. You will be cooking around 4 times as much Kangkong if you plan to follow the proportions given in this recipe. So, let's begin.

Nutritional Benefits: 
Back when we were kids, remember how Popeye gets his superhuman strength just by eating a can of spinach? Just like spinach, Kangkong is a low-calorie dish jam-packed with nutrients. A serving of this dish will provide 297.1mg of Potassium, 2g of Fiber, 2.8g of Protein, 110.4% of your daily Vitamin A requirement, 82.7% of Vitamin C, 7.2% of Calcium and 8.8% of Iron at only 41 calories! It's also loaded with antioxidants that help boost your immune system. Not bad for one of the cheapest vegetables in the planet.



Difficulty: Beginner
Yields: 4 servings
Total Cost: 28 Pesos
Cost Per Serving: 7 Pesos

Ingredients:
300g (1 bunch) of Kangkong
8 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Fish Sauce (or to taste)
2-3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Preparation:
  1. Clean the Kangkong in a bowl of water and vinegar. Remove the tough ends of the Kangkong stems, separate the stems from the leaves, and cut the stems up to have 1 inch pieces. 
  2. Fry around half of the garlic on the frying pan until light brown. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. 
  3. With the remaining oil, stir in the rest of the garlic and stir fry for around 1 minute. Add in the Kangkong stems and cook for around 3 minutes or until tender, Add in the oyster sauce and mix well. 
  4. Mix in the Kangkong leaves and cook for around 1 minute or until wilted. Add about 1 Tablespoon of Fish Sauce or to taste.
Kangkong and Garlic Toasted Garlic
A bit overcooked, it should be a far lighter color
Try This Simple, Delicious Kangkong (Water Spinach) and Garlic Recipe
The final yummy dish!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. If you do, don't forget to share it with your friends. Let me know what you think.

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Cheers,
Chef Jay

15 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Definitely healthy! Try it out, its tasty too!

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  2. Awesome recipe! I miss kangkong :( They don't have kangkong here in Europe -sad face-

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    Replies
    1. Really? They might have it there but call it something different. :)

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    2. Meron po kangkong dito sa italy

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  3. Another recipe hit! I love Kangkong and garlic kasi sobrang daling lutuin at masustansya.

    P.S. I have nominated you as a Liebster awardee. You may accept the award through these simple steps:
    http://baredmysoul.blogspot.com/2014/12/liebster-award-recepient-again.html

    Happy holidays, Chef!

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  4. I love ginisang kangkong or adobong kangkong so much. It reminds me of my childhood so I always cook. Yum!

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    Replies
    1. I agree! I'm currently expermenting with adobong kangkong. I'll let you know once I cook up something amazing!

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  5. I really like this but the problem is that my youngest kid would surely say pass on this recipe xD

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, your kid probably would pass this up. Look at the bright side, more for you! :)

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  6. I love this dish! I frequently order it whenever we eat out. But I haven't actually tried cooking it a home, which is weird coz it's so easy to cook. Haha!

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    Replies
    1. It is quite easy to cook! You should try it at home so that it suits your taste more!

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  7. I love this recipe, delicious and easy to prepare. I usually match it with friend milkfish or "tilapia" and brown rice.

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  8. WOW! This recipe is not only easy but oh so yummy! Next time, I will lessen the amount of fish sauce. Great side dish with steak and potatoes!

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  9. Check your Asian store for kangkong!

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