Thai Stir-Fried Water Spinach Recipe (Morning Glory)

Cook one of the most popular Thai dishes at home with this tasty stir-fry morning glory (water spinach recipe.) It’s super quick and vegan-friendly.

Morning glory or Ong Choy (also known as water spinach) is one of the most popular Thai leafy green dishes, but you don’t often find it in Thai restaurants in western countries. This is a shame because water spinach is a delicious, healthy, and flavorful way to get more green leafy vegetables in your diet.

Sauteed with garlic, oyster sauce, broth, and authentic Thai red chilis, this stir-fried water spinach recipe is anything but a boring vegetable dish. Served over on a bed of white rice, it’s filling as a main meal or as a side dish to some Thai stir-fried chicken. It takes only 15 minutes of cook time from start to finish. It’s perfect for when you need a last-minute dinner idea or when you’ve got a craving for Asian food but don’t want to resort to takeouts. If you do weekly meal plans, how about adding this healthy recipe to your Rolodex?

You can find fresh water spinach in most Asian markets and Chinese supermarkets. Ask for water spinach, ong choy, kangkong, morning glory, or even water morning glory—it all means the same thing.

Water spinach isn’t the same as regular spinach. It has longer, thicker, and hollower stems than regular spinach, which makes for a heartier stir fry dish. After cooking, water spinach is tender and crunchy at the same time. There is one similarity to regular spinach, however—morning glory shares the high vitamin, mineral and antioxidant content. The cooked, tough, fibrous stems are an added bonus for healthy digestion. The carotenoids in water spinach are even said to make it one of the best anti-aging foods in Asian cooking.

Thai Stir-Fried Water Spinach Recipe (Morning Glory)

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• Author: Sharon Chen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 5 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 2 servings 1x
• Category: Vegetables, Vegetarian, Vegan
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Thai

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Description

Cook one of the most popular Thai dishes at home with this tasty stir-fry morning glory (water spinach recipe.) It’s super quick and vegan-friendly.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 bunch Chinese water spinach (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoons good-quality cooking oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado oil or olive oil
• 2 Thai red chilis, sliced lengthwise
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 cup chicken bone broth or no-sodium chicken broth (use vegetable broth if vegan)

For the cooking sauce:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (use mushroom sauce if vegan)
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (omit if vegan)
• 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon fermented black bean paste (I use Lee Kum Kee black bean garlic sauce)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (I use brown sugar)

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Instructions

1. Trim the ends of water spinach and rinse under cold water to clean. Drain and cut into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Combine all ingredients of the cooking sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Heat oil over high heat in a large skillet or a wok. Once the oil is hot, toss red chili and garlic in the pan. Stir for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
4. Add water spinach to the pan, followed by the cooking sauce. Stir fry for about 40 seconds to a minute, until the vegetable is wilted and covered by the sauce evenly.
5. Add chicken bone broth and stir to combine. Serve immediately over rice.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1
• Calories: 215
• Sugar: 4.8g
• Sodium: 701.6mg
• Fat: 15g
• Saturated Fat: 2.1g
• Carbohydrates: 17.4g
• Fiber: 5.1g
• Protein: 7.5g
• Cholesterol: 0.6mg

About the Author

Sharon Chen

Sharon Chen is an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and author of the Complete Sous Vide Cookbook. She believes food not only brings healing but also connection. As the creator of StreetSmart Kitchen, she aims to make meal prep easier than ever and help you find balance, ease, joy, and simplicity in the kitchen as you improve your well-being.