Indonesian Style Malabar Spinach

Submitted by Ambervim

"I found this after I started growing malabar spinach I suspect it would be good with chaya (a perrenial veggie in my yard) or other leafy greens."

 

• Ready In: 10mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 cups malabar spinach leaves
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 piece fresh galangal root (1/2 inch) or 1 piece fresh gingerroot, peeled and finely chopped (1/2 inch)
• 1 red chili pepper, seeded and slivered lengthwise
• 1 3⁄4 cups cream of coconut (not coconut milk)
• 1⁄4 cup lime juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 scallion, sliced into thin rings including green tops
• 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves (or 2 dried leaves pulverized in a spice mill)

directions

1. Gently sauté the galangal, garlic, and chile in the oil for a few minutes, then stir in the greens and cook until they are wilted through.
2. Drain off excess liquid.
3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat to a bare simmer, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil.
4. Add the cooked greens and mix.
5. Serve warm.

Reviews

[Mary H.]

I didn't have enough Malabar spinach, so I used Napa cabbage (sauteed in 3 batches without vegetable oil, I used rice vinegar & water) - there's plenty of sauce for a whole Napa cabbage. I gave it 5 stars because it's easy, not too many ingredients, inexpensive, easy prep, refrigerates and reheats well, and the flavor is SUPERB! It could be because I used Mexican limon fruits picked fresh from a tree, if I couldn't get them I'd use Key limes. A Vietnamese colleague recommended a few fragrant whole chilis added to the sauce - I'll try that next time. I paired this with white Jasmine rice. Lots of white made for a pale dish, had I had black sesame to sprinkle over, it would have improved the presentation. Maybe even cilantro, some fresh sliced scallion greens? Recommended.

 

[Guachipelin]

I made it with one tablespoon lime juice instead of 1/4 cup. It works with New Zealand spinach and Thai spinach too. I'll try chaya next time...