Sauté leunca is a very niche recipe since I believe if you are not from Indonesia (and West Java primarily), you have probably never heard of this vegetable called Leunca. I made this dedicated post because, as you all know, I am Indonesian and live in Singapore. Even though Singapore and Indonesia are very near each other, not all Indonesian vegetables are available there. Leunca is one of the Indonesian vegetables that I miss the most! When my housekeeper mentioned seeing it in the local market, I immediately asked her to buy it.
For those who already know what Leunca is, please feel free to jump to whatever section you desire, but I will try to explain it to you in the next couple of sections! So fasten your seatbelt because here it comes!
What is Leunca?
I found this article to be a good explanation of Leunca. Unfortunately, it is written in Bahasa Indonesia, so I will try to extract relevant information and translate it for you!
If I were to explain this vegetable to you, I would say it is a cross between eggplant and blueberries. Interesting, right? It tastes like eggplant, but if you eat it, you will experience some bursting, like when you eat blueberries. It has no sweetness at all, like blueberries. It is a little bit bitter, I believe.
I hope you are not stepping back from trying this vegetable after hearing that it tastes bitter—since that taste is good! This bitter taste comes from the plant’s secondary metabolites (saponin and tannins), which contain a high level of antioxidants and are suitable for anti-diarrhea, anti-bacterial, and anti-carcinogen purposes!
There are Multiple Ways to Eat Leunca
First, it is to be eaten raw. In West Java, people usually call it “Lalapan,” a raw vegetable salad traditionally served as a side dish with a warm bowl of rice, sambal, and some protein such as fried fish, fried chicken, and beef. Here is one YouTube video that can help you visualize it better!
Another way people usually cook it is to sauté it with oncom. Oncom is one of the soybean fermentation results using mold. It is closely related to tempe and tofu, but the difference is that usually, oncom is made using the by-product from the production of other food. One example is soy pulp remains from making tofu. Oncom is hard to get in Singapore since it has to be shipped from Indonesia, so it will not be fresh. I guess you can make that as an excuse to travel to Indonesia and try it yourself there!
Image source : https://cookpad.com/id/resep/11979904-tumis-oncom-leunca-pedas
Another standard method is to have a simple sauté like the one in this recipe. This recipe is so simple yet tastes so delicious! Anytime my mother cooks simple sauté leunca, I can’t control myself and will eat multiple portions of it with warm rice.
I hope this section serves as an excellent introduction to leunca so that next time you visit a wet market in Indonesia (especially West Java), you can spot it and even cook with it! However, if you are overseas and have difficulty finding this vegetable, don’t worry! This recipe is very versatile since you can replace it with another vegetable (such as long bean, bitter gourd, broccoli, kale, etc), and it should taste just as good. Trust me :).
The Ingredient that you need to make Sauté Leunca!
Leunca
Remove the stem from the leunca and wash it properly. You can use raw leunca (green color) and ripe leunca (black color). Both will have a similar flavor. PS: This recipe is very versatile. If you don’t have leunca, replace it with another vegetable such as long beans, bitter gourd, broccoli, kale, etc.
Garlic & Shallot
Slice them thinly. The thinner, the better, since you can extract all of the oil from this aromatic when you sauté them. However, I will slice them thickly in this blog because I prefer not to eat the garlic and shallot in this dish (I want to eat the leunca). So, cutting them thickly will make it easier for me to remove them when I eat. Sorry!
Chili
slice it diagonally at around 1cm. You can omit this if you can’t stand spicy food or add more if you love spicy food like me!
Others
- Mushroom Stock to get the umami taste out of the dish
- Salt
- Cooking Oil
Step by Step to Make Sauté Leunca!
- Start with a bit of cooking oil in the pan, then sauté the sliced garlic and shallots using low to medium heat until they become fragrant and soft. Your kitchen will smell Ah-MA-zing! It will take around 2-3 minutes. I usually stir it continuously to prevent uneven results.
2. Add the chili, but be careful; your whole kitchen usually smells of chili and makes you want to sneeze! Mix and sauté until it looks like the picture on the right below. You have to oversee them and continue to mix. Don’t let them burn!
3. Add the leunca and mix it well. Cover the pan to trap the heat so the leunca cooks evenly and becomes soft. You could add a little bit of water to help soften the leunca. During the process, the leunca will change its color to more brown.
4. Add the salt and mushroom stock and mix well. Taste occasionally. Add the seasoning to your preference.
5. Turn off the heat when the leunca has become soft and cooked thoroughly. Your sauté leunca is ready to be eaten with a warm bowl of rice!
Other recipes that you might love:
- How to Cook Indonesia Vegan “Chicken” Noodle Soup
- Spiced Tofu in Banana Leaves (Pepes Tahu) Authentic Recipe
- Delicious and Easy Vegan Mushroom Satay in Indonesia Style
Ingredients
-
200 gr leunca
-
5 cloves garlic
-
6 cloves shallots
-
8 pc chilies
-
1 tsp mushroom stock
-
1 tsp salt
-
cooking oil
Instructions
- Start with a bit of cooking oil in the pan and then sauté the sliced garlic and shallots using low to medium heat until they become fragrant and soft. Your kitchen will smell Ah-MA-zing! It will take around 2-3 minutes. I usually stir it continuously to prevent uneven results.
- Add in the chili, but be careful, as usually, your whole kitchen will have the chili smell and make you want to sneeze! Mix and sauté until it looks like the picture on the right below. You have to watch them carefully and continue to mix. Don’t let them burn!
- Put the leunca in and mix it well. Cover the pan to trap the heat so the leunca will cook evenly and become soft. You could add a little bit of water to help soften the leunca. During the process, the leunca will change its color to brown.
- Add the salt and mushroom stock and mix well. Taste occasionally. Add the seasoning to your preference.
- Turn off the heat when the leunca has become soft and cooked thoroughly.
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