Pad Pak Boong (Thai Morning Glory Recipe)
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This Thai morning glory recipe, or pad pak boong, is one of my favorite ways to get a quick vegetable dish on the table. The morning glory stays crisp and slightly crunchy while the savory sauce coats the leaves, and once your wok is hot, the whole stir-fry takes only a minute.
What is pad pak boong?
Pad pak boong is a Thai vegetable stir-fry made with morning glory, also called water spinach. The morning glory stems stay crisp while the leaves wilt quickly, coated in a savory, slightly sweet, and spicy sauce made with soybean paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce, garlic, chilies, and sugar.
You may also see this dish called pad pak boong fai daeng. Fai daeng means “red fire” in Thai and refers to the fierce heat traditionally used to cook it. The idea is simple: get the wok extremely hot, add everything quickly, and stir-fry the morning glory just until the leaves wilt.
Watch me cook it in the video below and you’ll see what I mean.
Why the high heat matters
I know one minute sounds like nowhere near enough time to cook a whole bunch of vegetables. But that’s exactly what we’re after.
Morning glory cooks incredibly quickly. A properly heated wok gives the stems enough heat to soften slightly while the leaves wilt, without giving them enough time to release too much water.
If your pan isn’t hot enough, the morning glory starts steaming in its own liquid instead of getting that quick, smoky stir-fried texture.
I make mine over a very hot flame, and when the garlic, chilies, and morning glory hit the pan, everything happens fast. Make sure you have your sauces measured and everything beside the stove before you start.
If you’re looking for more quick Thai vegetable dishes, try my Thai vegetable stir-fry or cabbage stir-fry next.
Praew ♡
Learn Thai cooking step by step
My cookbook is a combination of authentic Thai recipes and Western dishes cooked with Thai flavors and ingredients. It’s a great starting point if you’re new to Thai cooking or want to cook it more often.
Ingredient notes & substitutes
You can find morning glory and the sauces at most Asian grocery stores or fresh markets. For the exact amounts, head to the recipe card.
- Morning glory: Choose fresh bunches with bright green leaves and firm stems. I like cutting the stems into fairly large pieces because they stay pleasantly crunchy after stir-frying.
- Soybean paste: This is one of the ingredients that gives pad pak boong its distinctive savory flavor. Look for Thai soybean paste at an Asian grocery store.
- Oyster sauce: This brings a deep savory flavor with a little sweetness.
- Fish sauce: I use it for saltiness and umami. My go-to brand is Megachef.
- White sugar: Just a little balances the salty, spicy sauce.
- Garlic: I roughly pound it rather than finely mincing it.
- Chilies: I use Thai Jinda chilies. Bird’s eye chilies work too if you like plenty of heat. For a milder version, use fewer chilies or a mild fresh chili.
- Water: Keep a little water beside the stove, but don’t automatically add it. If your wok is properly hot, the vegetables should cook quickly without becoming watery. A small splash is only needed if the pan gets too dry while you’re stir-frying.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil for stir-frying, like canola or vegetable oil.
How to make morning glory stir-fry
1: Prepare the morning glory. Wash the morning glory thoroughly, especially around the stems, then cut it into 2–3-inch pieces. Keep the stems and leaves together rather than separating them.
2: Pound the garlic and chilies. Roughly pound the garlic and chilies together with a mortar and pestle.
3: Put everything on one plate. Place the prepared morning glory, pounded garlic and chilies, soybean paste, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sugar on one plate beside the stove.
4: Stir-fry over high heat. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oil, swirl to coat the pan, then add everything from the plate.
Stir-fry for about 1 minute, tossing constantly, until the leaves have wilted but the stems are still crisp. If the pan looks dry, add a splash of water and keep tossing.
Take it off the heat as soon as the morning glory reaches the texture you want. Don’t leave it sitting in the hot wok, or it will continue cooking.
How to serve these Thai greens
Pad pak boong is usually served as part of a Thai meal rather than as the only dish on the table. I like it with hot jasmine rice, where the savory sauce can soak into the rice. It also goes really well with spicy som tum Thai.
If you’re making several dishes at once, cook the morning glory last. It takes so little time that there’s really no advantage to making it early and letting it sit.
How to store & reheat
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheat: Reheat quickly in a hot wok or skillet over medium-high heat until warmed through. Don’t overcook it, or the morning glory will lose its crunch.
More Thai vegetable recipes to try
Pad Pak Boong (Thai Morning Glory Recipe)
Equipment
- cutting board and knife
- Wok or large skillet
- spatula
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 chilies, to taste
- 12 oz morning glory, also known as water spinach, cut into large pieces
- 1 tsp soybean paste
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tbsp white sugar
- 2 tbsp water, if needed
Instructions
- Prepare the morning glory: Wash the morning glory well and cut it into 2–3-inch pieces, keeping the stems and leaves together.
- Pound the garlic and chilies: Roughly pound the garlic and chilies together in a mortar and pestle.
- Prepare the ingredients: Place the morning glory, garlic and chilies, soybean paste, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar on one plate beside the stove.
- Stir-fry: Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat until very hot. Add the oil, swirl to coat your pan, then add everything from the plate. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, tossing constantly, until the leaves are wilted but the stems remain crisp. Add a splash of water if the pan gets too dry.
- Serve: Remove from the heat immediately and serve hot with jasmine rice.
Notes
- Use the nutrition card in this recipe as a guideline.