Kangkung is not watercress!

Kangkung (water spinach)

Kangkung, the green side dish in Indonesian and Filipino cuisine is my bf's new favorite dish. I keep hearing people calling it watercress, when it really isn't. Watercress is what Louis (from the Trumpet of the Swan) eats in his sandwiches - a popular ingredient in tea sandwiches. According to the Wikipedia entry, kangkung, or "Ipomoea aquatica is a semi-aquatic tropical plant grown as a leaf vegetable..." and "It is not to be mistaken with watercress, which often grows in similar situations."

Kangkung is water spinach, probably called that because it grows like weeds in water or moist soil.

The basic kangkung dish is simple:

oil
garlic
shallots
red chili peppers
kangkung
balacan
salt

Fry shallots and garlic, add chili and kangkung. Season.

Balacan, is unfortunately a common addition to everything in Indonesian AND Filipino dishes...it's shrimp paste!

"It adds flavor" they say...

My mom has said that about everything, chicken broth, shrimp paste, etc... I beg to differ.

Once my mom served me noodles (that looked all good), but once I tasted it, I knew something was fishy...or should I say chicken-y. She had cooked the noodles in chicken broth! And whenever I object, she'll say "it needs it for flavor."

So I say, make kangkung without the balacan, it tastes just as good.