Stir Fried Kailan with Ikan Bilis (Anchovies)

Ikan bilis kering (dried anchovies) usually served with nasi lemak, rice porridge and with sambal tumis. As kailan (Chinese broccoli/kale) goes well with salty fish, I thought it would be the same with ikan bilis... when fried, ikan bilis is crispy and slightly salty, giving the kailan a fresh taste. You can always fry ikan bilis and keep it in an air tight container for a few weeks, for convenience sake.

Kailan is one of Malaysia's favourite green leafy vegetables - it is slightly bitter but have a crunchy texture. It is normally stir fried with garlics, oyster sauce and light soya sauce. Salty fish goes really well with kailan, so does prawns, chicken or beef.

:: Stir Fried Kailan Ikan Bilis Recipe ::

1 bunch of fresh kailan
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/3 cup fried ikan bilis
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water

Cut and wash kailan, put aside. Mix the oyster sauce with water. Heat a wok or a frying pan and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the garlic until aromatic and toss in kailan. Stir until leaves are somewhat darker green but don't overcook the kailan, as we want it to be crunchy. Pour in the oyster sauce mix and sprinkle a dash of salt (optional). Immediately transfer the cooked kailan on a serving plate, add the fried ikan bilis on top of kailan. Serve while it's still hot and enjoy with a cup of streamed jasmine rice.