Indonesian Style Malabar Spinach

Name: Indonesian Style Malabar Spinach
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
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)

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."

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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

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.
Drain off excess liquid.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium-size, heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat to a bare simmer, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil.
Add the cooked greens and mix.
Serve warm.

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Reviews

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.

Mary H.
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...

Guachipelin