Philippines Kangkong in Oyster Sauce
Kangkong—known more widely as water spinach—is a green leafy vegetable that is commonly prepared with oyster sauce in the Philippines and served alongside a number of different main courses. The exact ingredients vary widely but often include tofu, as in the recipe below.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
20 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kangkong (water spinach)
- 1 package (12 oz/340 g) firm tofu
- ¼ cup (60 ml) oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) chili garlic sauce
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) water
- 1 tsp (5 ml) sesame oil
- 1 tsp (5 ml) cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- Salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Trim ends from kangkong stalks and discard.
- Separate leaves from larger stalks and cut stalks into 3-inch (8-cm) lengths.
- Wash kangkong thoroughly and drain well.
- Drain tofu from liquid in package, pat dry using paper towel, and slice into ½-inch (2-cm) cubes.
- Whisk together oyster sauce, chili garlic sauce, water, sesame oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl until well combined and set aside.
- Pour vegetable oil into a large, wide skillet set over medium heat.
- Add tofu to hot oil and arrange into a single layer.
- Cook tofu on one side until crispy and then flip to continue cooking on the other sides until tofu is cooked and light brown all over.
- Transfer tofu to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cover to keep warm.
- Add onions to the hot oil in the skillet and cook until limp.
- Increase heat to high, pour in oyster sauce mixture, and cook for about 1 minute, until it becomes bubbly and starts to thicken.
- Add tofu and larger stalks of kangkong to skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring regularly.
- Add kangkong leaves and cook, stirring regularly, for 1–2 minutes, until tofu is heated through and kangkong is tender yet crisp.
- Season kangkong with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer kangkong to a serving dish.
- Serve kangkong hot.
Notes
- Small peeled shrimp also can be added with the kangkong leaves.
Copyright © 1993—2024 World Trade Press. All rights reserved.