Pad Pak Boong Fai Daeng
ผัดผักบุ้งไฟแดง·(pàt pàk bûng fai daeng)
Weeknight Kab Khao (The Thai Family Table)
If you grew up in a Thai-American household, the earthy, savory funk of fermented soybeans hitting smoking hot oil is the smell of a Tuesday night. Translating to 'Red Fire Morning Glory', this dish is famous for the towering flames street vendors use to flash-cook the greens. Our grandmothers adapted this for standard stoves using a brilliant trick: the single-bowl drop. Loading everything into a single bowl and dumping it into a smoking-hot pan creates an instant steam cloud that cooks the greens in thirty seconds flat, leaving the stems crunchy and the garlic perfectly fragrant.
Before you start
Wash the morning glory thoroughly and leave it slightly wet.
Shake off the excess water, but do not dry it completely; the clinging moisture is essential for creating the steam cloud that cooks the dish.
Snap the stems into pieces using your fingers rather than a knife.
Starting from the leafy top, snap the stems into 3-inch lengths. When the stem makes a clean, audible pop, it is tender. As you move closer to the root, the stem will eventually bend and refuse to snap—discard that tough, woody bottom section.
Ingredients
- Chinese water spinach1 lb
- garlic4 clove
- Thai bird's eye chilies3 med
- Tao Jiew (Thai fermented soybean paste)1 1/2 tbsp
- oyster sauce1 1/2 tbsp
- light soy sauce1 tsp
- white sugar1 tsp
- water2 tbsp
- neutral cooking oil2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Load all ingredients into a single bowl.
Place the snapped morning glory into a large mixing bowl, pile the smashed garlic and chilies on top, and pour the soybean paste, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and water directly over the aromatics without mixing.
- 02
Heat a heavy carbon steel wok or skillet over the highest possible heat until the oil smokes.
Ventilate your kitchen, add the cooking oil, and wait until the oil is shimmering with distinct wisps of white smoke rising from the surface. Do not use non-stick Teflon for this.
- 03
Dump the entire contents of the bowl into the smoking pan all at once.
The pan will immediately hiss and roar as the wet greens and sauces hit the hot oil, creating an instant steam cloud that cooks the vegetables while protecting the garlic from burning.
- 04
Toss rapidly for thirty seconds, pulling from the bottom to coat the leaves.
The moment the leaves are wilted but the stems remain bright green and crisp, turn off the heat and slide the vegetables and all their garlicky juices onto a serving platter.
Notes
Source Chinese water spinach, not the native Thai variety.
Look for hollow, pale-green stems labeled as Ong Choy, Kong Xin Cai, or Kangkong at your local Asian market. Native Thai water spinach has thicker, reddish stems and is better suited for eating raw.
Substitute miso for fermented soybean paste in a pinch.
If you cannot find Healthy Boy brand fermented soybean paste, substitute one tablespoon of Japanese miso or Korean doenjang mixed with a half tablespoon of water to mimic the pourable consistency.
Smash the aromatics instead of mincing them.
Smashing the garlic and chilies releases their essential oils without exposing too much surface area to the blistering heat, preventing the garlic from turning bitter and keeping the chili heat approachable.
From Cook Thai in America.