Pad Pak Boong (Thai Stir-Fried Morning Glory)

Ingredients

• 150 g morning glory (water spinach or kang kung)
• 5–6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2–3 Thai chilies, sliced
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (preferably Thai)
• 1 tbsp tao jiew (fermented soy bean paste)
• 0.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 0.125–0.25 tsp ground white pepper
• as needed water
• 2 tbsp oil

Method

Morning glory wilts in seconds once heat hits it, so everything else — aromatics, sauce, seasoning — must be built first. The wok does the heavy lifting here through high-heat-cooking and constant motion; stalling means you'll end up with a slurry instead of a glossy braise.

Trim the morning glory down to the tender upper stems and leaves, discarding anything woody or thick enough to snap cleanly. Wash and drain thoroughly, then cut into 7–8 cm lengths. Combine the oyster sauce, tao jiew, soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. This fermented-condiments base needs to be homogenous before it hits the heat, or the paste will seize and clump.

Set the wok over full heat for two minutes until it's almost smoking. Add 2 tbsp oil, then immediately follow with the garlic and chilies. You're not cooking them gently here — the goal is for the garlic edges to turn light brown and release their sharpness into the oil, which takes about 90 seconds of constant motion with a spatula or wooden spoon. The browning is your signal: garlic has begun to caramelize, which sweetens the aromatics and anchors the dish.

Now tip in the morning glory and pour the sauce over it. The leaves will look impossibly tangled; stir aggressively for 30 seconds, scraping the wok's sides to distribute heat and prevent catching. The stems soften faster than you'd expect — you're looking for the leaves to turn from bright to dull green and lose their rigidity, which happens in about 60–90 seconds total. If the bottom of the wok looks dry, add a splash of water and let it steam briefly, creating the glossy, dark liquid that coats each piece.

The moment the spinach surrenders — it should still have a whisper of bite — transfer it to a plate. Don't leave it in the wok. Fish sauce carries a penetrating umami that builds as the dish cools, so tasting it at serving temperature, not at the wok's heat, is the only honest measure of seasoning. Serve immediately while the stems retain their texture and the sauce clings.