Stir-fried morning glory.

Morning glory (phak boong) is a hollow-stemmed water vegetable that cooks in minutes. This is the classic Thai way: a very hot wok, plenty of garlic and chilli, and a short cook so the stems stay crunchy. Serve it with rice and a fried egg or any simple main dish.

Ingredients

• 300 g morning glory (phak boong)
• 4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
• 2 bird's eye chillies, lightly crushed
• 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Method

1. Wash the morning glory and shake it dry. Cut into pieces about 6 cm long, keeping the stems and leaves separate.
2. Mix the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and water in a small bowl.
3. Heat the oil in a wok over the highest heat until it just starts to smoke.
4. Add the garlic and chillies and stir for 5 seconds.
5. Add the stems first, stir for 30 seconds, then add the leaves.
6. Pour in the sauce and toss for about 1 minute, until the leaves have wilted but the stems are still crisp.
7. Tip onto a plate straight away.

Tips

• Dry the leaves well. Water on the vegetables cools the wok and the dish turns soggy.
• Cook it in two batches if your pan is small, so the vegetables fry instead of steam.
• Eat it the same day. Cooked morning glory turns dull and soft when kept.