Morning glory with garlic
Rau muống xào tỏi: water spinach flash-fried with plenty of garlic
Rau muống, water spinach or morning glory, is the everyday green of Vietnam, and a plate of it stir-fried with garlic sits on family tables everywhere, from Hanoi rice-shops to Saigon street stalls. Done well, the hollow stems stay crunchy and bright green and the leaves silky, with a strong hit of garlic. Look for it in Asian grocers as water spinach or ong choy. This version is seasoned with soy sauce instead of fish sauce. Chef's tip: blanch the greens for 30 seconds and plunge them into iced water, as Hanoi cooks do, then stir-fry over the highest heat for barely a minute; they stay vivid green and never go soggy.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Snap or cut 14 oz water spinach (morning glory) into 8–10 cm lengths, discarding the tough lower stems. Split any thick stems lengthways so they cook as fast as the leaves. Wash well and shake dry.
Step 2: Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil with 1 tsp salt, for the blanching water. Blanch the water spinach for 30 seconds, then drain and plunge into a bowl of iced water. Drain again and squeeze gently; excess water makes the oil spit and stews the greens.
2 minStep 3: Heat a wok over the highest heat until it smokes, then add 2 tbsp vegetable oil and two-thirds of 6 cloves garlic. Stir for 15–20 seconds until it smells strongly and turns pale gold; don't let it brown.
Step 4: Add the water spinach all at once with 1 tbsp light soy sauce or mushroom seasoning and ¼ tsp sugar and toss hard for 1 minute, until the leaves are glossy and the stems hot but still snappy. Add the rest of the garlic in the last 10 seconds for a raw, punchy finish.
1 minStep 5: Tip onto a plate, scatter with 1 red chilli and serve straight away, with rice and other dishes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does morning glory with garlic take?
- About 10 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 5 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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