This is Adobong Kangkong (Water Spinach Adobo). Adobong Kangkong is a simple vegetable dish that is commonly found in many Filipino homes. Water Spinach grows well in the Philippines and as a result is widely available. There are several varieties of Kangkong. The most common variety in the Philippines is the wide-leaf kind. You will find these growing naturally in many areas as well as in farms. Another variety is the Chinese Spinach or Water Cabbage, which is locally known as Chinese Kangkong. The preparation of this primarily vegetable dish is similar to other adobos that you will find throughout the Philippines. Enjoy this recipe from all of us at Filipino Chow.
Adobong Kangkong (Water Spinach Adobo)
Ingredients
- 2 bundles of water spinach, cut into 2 inch lengths
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled then minced
- 1/4 pound of pork, cut into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons of vinegar
- freshly ground black pepper
- pork broth
Instructions
- Start with a large wok or pan over medium-high heat.
- Add some cooking oil to the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add the garlic to the pan.
- Stir fry the garlic for about one minute then add the pork to the pan.
- Continue to stir fry the garlic and pork until the pork is only partly cooked.
- Now add the flour to the pan and briefly stir to combine.
- Pour in enough broth into the pan to cover the pork.
- Add the soy sauce, vinegar to the pan.
- Next add freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Bring this to a boil then add the kangkong (river spinach) to the pan.
- Continue to stir the kangkong while it cooks until is is slightly wilted.
- Remove the pan from the heat.
- Transfer everything to a serving dish then serve.
The flour used to thicken the sauce is optional if you would rather have a thinner sauce. Also you can make this a vegetarian dish by substituting the pork with fried tofu and the pork broth with vegetable broth.