Brilio.net - Kenikir or Cosmos caudatus is a vegetable native to Southeast Asia that has long been used as a vegetable for home cooking. This plant thrives in the yard with a height of 1-1.5 meters. Its distinctive compound pinnate leaves with serrated edges provide a unique touch to various traditional dishes.
As a nutrient-rich vegetable, kenikir contains vitamins A, C, and E, as well as essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. The high antioxidant content in kenikir leaves makes it a great choice for boosting the immune system. The slightly bitter yet fresh taste adds a new dimension to every dish it is prepared with.
In Indonesia, kenikir is often found in various home-cooked vegetables such as pecel, urap, or simple stir-fries . Although sometimes considered a village vegetable, kenikir is now starting to find a place on the modern dining table thanks to public awareness of its health benefits. Here are 11 kenikir recipes that you can try to add variety to your daily menu.
1. Pecel kenikir.
photo: Instagram/@arlinasubianto
Material:
- 200 gr of kenikir leaves, petiki
- 150 gr bean sprouts
- 200 gr long beans
- 100 gr cabbage, sliced
- 500 gr ready-to-use pecel seasoning
- 50 ml warm water
How to make:
1. Boil all vegetables separately until cooked.
2. Drain and arrange on a serving plate.
3. Brew the peanut sauce with warm water.
4. Pour the seasoning over the vegetables.
2. Stir fry the egg and kenikir.
photo: Instagram/@resepkiki
Material:
- 250 gr of kenikir leaves
- 3 eggs
- 5 cloves of shallot, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 red chilies, sliced
- 5 cayenne peppers (to taste)
- Salt to taste
- 15 ml cooking oil
How to make:
1. Saute the two onions until fragrant
2. Add the chilies, stir fry for a while
3. Add the eggs and scramble them.
4. Add kenikir, stir well
5. Add salt, cook until wilted
3. Apply kenikir sauce.
Material:
- 200 gr of kenikir leaves
- 150 gr half-old grated coconut
- 4 lime leaves
- 5 cloves of shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 red chilies
- 2 cm of galangal
- Salt to taste
How to make:
1. Boil the kenikir briefly, drain.
2. Grind all the spices
3. Mix the spices with grated coconut.
4. Steam the spiced coconut for 15 minutes.
5. Mix with boiled kenikir
4. Clear kenikir vegetable soup.
Material:
- 200 gr of kenikir leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 3 cloves of shallot, sliced
- 2 cm of temu kunci, bruised
- 800 ml water
- Salt to taste
How to make:
1. Boil water
2. Add the onion duo and key
3. Add kenikir
4. Add salt
5. Cook until done
5. Kenikir with peanut sauce.
Material:
- 250 gr of kenikir leaves
- 200 gr fried peanuts
- 5 cloves of shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 3 red chilies
- 2 cm of galangal
- 50 ml water
- Salt to taste
How to make:
1. Boil the kenikir briefly, drain.
2. Puree the nuts and spices
3. Add water little by little
4. Mix with kenikir
6. Kenikir fruit salad.
Material:
- 250 gr of kenikir leaves
- 200 gr red tomatoes
- 5 cloves of shallots
- 3 red chilies
- 5 cayenne peppers
- Grilled shrimp paste to taste
- Lime
- Salt to taste
How to make:
1. Boil the kenikir until wilted
2. Grind all the spices
3. Add lime juice
4. Pour the spices onto the kenikir
7. Kenikir in coconut milk sauce.
Material:
- 200 gr of kenikir leaves
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 4 cloves of shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 cm galangal
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt to taste
How to make:
1. Saute the ground spices
2. Add coconut milk
3. Add kenikir
4. Cook until done
8. Gado-gado with kenikir.
Material:
- 150 gr of kenikir leaves
- 100 gr bean sprouts
- 100 gr long beans
- 2 boiled potatoes
- 2 boiled eggs
- Ready-to-use peanut sauce
- Shrimp crisp
- 50 ml water
How to make:
1. Boil all the vegetables
2. Arrange on a serving plate
3. Drizzle with peanut sauce
4. Sprinkle with crackers
9. Stir-fried kenikir and tempeh.
Material:
- 200 gr of kenikir leaves
- 150 gr tempeh, diced
- 5 cloves of shallots
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 red chilies
- Salt to taste
- 15 ml cooking oil
How to make:
1. Fry half cooked tempeh
2. Saute the spices until fragrant
3. Add tempeh and kenikir
4. Cook until wilted
10. Steamed kenikir with shrimp paste chili sauce.
Material:
- 250 gr of kenikir leaves
- 5 red chilies
- 5 cayenne peppers
- 3 cloves of shallots
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Grilled shrimp paste to taste
- Salt to taste
How to make:
1. Steam the kenikir until wilted
2. Grind all the spices
3. Serve the kenikir with chili sauce
11. Crispy kenikir.
Material:
- 200 gr of kenikir leaves
- 150 gr wheat flour
- 1 egg
- 100 ml water
- Salt to taste
- Oil for frying
How to make:
1. Make a dough of flour with water and eggs.
2. Dip the kenikir into the batter
3. Fry until golden yellow
4. Drain and serve