Morning glory (known as rau muống in Vietnamese) is a popular Southeast Asian water spinach. This is an earthy and hearty vegetable, quickly stir fried with garlic and fish sauce. A great vegetable side that pairs well with many rice entrees.
This morning glory stir fry with garlic (rau muong xao toi) was a staple dish in my home growing up. This leafy green is similar to spinach, except the stem is thicker with a tubular and hearty stalk. A hefty bundle of rau muong will cook down to a smaller volume quickly (just like spinach). The leaves have a slight chew while the stalk, if not overcooked, will have a light crunchy bite.
Rau muong is a quick and simple side dish that’s easy to make with only 4 ingredients.
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Ingredients
Morning Glory – Sold in large 1 to 2 pound bunches at most Chinese and Vietnamese grocery stores.
Fish Sauce – I use Red Boat fish sauce, sold in most Asian markets and in some mainstream American stores.
Garlic – Gives rau muong a delicious aroma and flavor.
Sugar – Just a pinch balances the saltiness of the fish sauce.
Equipment
A wok or large pan.
Instructions
- Trim about 1 inch off the ends of the morning glory stalk, cut the stem and stalk into 3 to 4 inch pieces, leaving the leaves intact. I usually do this by hand by snapping the stem and stalk with my finger tips.
- Wash vegetable well.
- Sautee the garlic in a large wok on medium high heat, add the morning glory, sugar and fish sauce. The water from the morning glory will help to cook down the vegetable. Stir fry for about 3 to 4 minutes and you’re done!
How To Serve
- Best served as a side dish with other main dishes like suon ram man .
- Or serve this morning glory stir fry by itself with some rice.
- If preferred, add a side of fish sauce to dip the morning glory in with your rice.
FAQs
It’s a green, leafy vegetable popular in Southeast Asia, also known as water spinach.
Yes, usually the leaves and julienned stems are added to noodle soup dishes like bun rieu.
More Vietnamese Recipes To Try
- Chao Ga – A classic and comforting rice chicken porridge, great when you’re fighting a cold or flu.
- Mi Hoanh Thanh – A savory and comforting bowl of pork broth, with delicate shrimp and pork wontons served with delicious chewy egg noodles.
- Goi Ga – A refreshing Vietnamese salad topped with tender shredded chicken.
Have you tried this morning glory stir fry? Let me know what you think, and please give me a rating and comment below.
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Morning Glory Garlic Stir Fry
Equipment
- wok or large pan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound morning glory bunch
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- 3 cloves garlic cloves thinly slice
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon oil
Instructions
- Trim about 1 inch off the ends of the morning glory stalk then cut the stem and stalk into 3 to 4 inch pieces, leaving the leaves intact.
- Wash morning glory leaves and stems well.
- Heat oil in a wok or large pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until slightly brown, about 15 seconds.
- Add morning glory, fish sauce and sugar to the pan and sauté until vegetable cooks down, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Notes
- The water from the morning glory will help to cook down the vegetable.