Phak Boong Fai Daeng (Stir-fried Morning Glory)
Morning glory flash-fried in a roaring hot wok with garlic, chillies, yellow bean sauce and oyster sauce: crunchy, savoury and done in a minute.
- Region
- Central Thailand
- Condiments
- Oyster Sauce, Thai Soy Sauces
- Vegetables
- Bird’s Eye Chilli, Morning Glory, Garlic
Ingredients
- 300 g morning glory (water spinach, phak boong)
- 5 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
- 3–5 bird’s eye chillies, lightly crushed
- 1 tbsp yellow bean sauce (tao jiao)
- 1½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water or chicken stock
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Jasmine rice, to serve
Instructions
Phak boong fai daeng means morning glory on red fire, after the burst of flame that leaps up when street cooks throw it into a blazing wok. In some Bangkok and Phitsanulok restaurants the cook even flings the cooked greens across the room to a waiter holding a plate.
At home you do not need the theatrics, just a very hot pan and everything ready before you start. The whole dish takes about a minute, and the hollow stems should stay crunchy and bright green.
Method
- Wash the morning glory and shake it dry. Cut it into 8–10 cm lengths, discarding any tough ends at the bottom of the stems.
- Mix the yellow bean sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl.
- Put the morning glory in a bowl with the garlic, chillies and the sauce, and toss so it is lightly coated. This is how many street cooks do it, so everything hits the wok at once.
- Heat the oil in a wok over the highest heat until it is smoking.
- Tip in the morning glory and all the seasonings and stir-fry hard for 45–60 seconds, tossing constantly, until the leaves have just wilted and the stems are bright green but still crisp.
- Taste a stem and add a dash more soy sauce if needed. Serve straight away with jasmine rice.
Cook’s tips
- Do not crowd the wok. If your burner is not strong, cook the morning glory in two batches so it fries rather than stews.
- If you cannot find morning glory, the same seasoning works well with Chinese kale, pak choi or tenderstem broccoli; cook the stems a little longer.
Aroy Mak Mak
Aroy Mak Mak is a small team writing about the food of Thailand and its neighbours: recipes you can cook at home, guides to the ingredients behind them, and places worth travelling for. The name means "very delicious" in Thai. Every recipe on the site lists its ingredients, timings and method in full, explains the techniques that matter, and suggests substitutes for ingredients that are hard to find outside Thailand. The guides to regions, condiments, vegetables and fruits explain what things are, how they are used and how to buy and store them. Place pages are researched from current sources, including the latest Michelin Guide Thailand, official websites and maps, and give addresses, opening hours and what to order. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is left out rather than guessed.