Tumis Labu Siam Kecap (Soy Sauce Stir-Fried Chayote)
A comforting, sweet-savoury Indonesian home-style favourite — tender strips of chayote simmered in rich, glossy soy sauce with aromatic garlic, shallots, and fresh chilli until soft and flavour-infused. The labu siam turns beautifully tender yet retains a pleasant light texture, soaking up every bit of the sweet-savoury sauce. Simple, wholesome, naturally plant-based, and wonderfully comforting with steamed rice!
Shared by novi
Time
25 min
Serves
3
Difficulty
easy
🛒 Ingredients
- #Main Ingredients;
- 2 medium chayote (labu siam) — peeled, seed removed, cut into matchsticks or thin strips
- 4 cloves garlic — thinly sliced.. 3 shallots — thinly sliced
- 2–3 fresh red chillies — sliced diagonally (adjust to taste)
- 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- #Sauce & Seasoning;
- 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce (kecap manis).. 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
- ½ tsp sea salt — adjust to taste.. ½ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp coconut sugar or cane sugar — to balance flavour
- 80–120 ml water — as needed
👩🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prep labu siam: Peel chayote, cut in half, remove the hard seed in the centre. Slice thinly into strips or matchsticks. Rinse briefly and drain.
- 2
Sauté aromatics: Heat oil in a wok or pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, stir-fry 1–2 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add chillies and toss briefly.
- 3
Cook labu siam: Add chayote strips to the pan. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until slightly softened at edges.
- 4
Simmer with sauce: Pour in sweet soy sauce, regular soy sauce, water, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir gently to coat evenly. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cover loosely and cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes until chayote is tender and sauce has thickened and glazed the vegetables.
- 5
Finish & serve: Uncover, toss once more to coat well. Taste and adjust sweetness or salt as needed. Serve hot with steamed rice!