Real ones don’t gatekeep their favorite vegetable recipes. This rau muong xao toi, or Vietnamese morning glory stir fry with garlic, was the only vegetable dish I looked forward to for dinner growing up. It combines crisp, juicy stems with silky, tender leaves, savory seasonings, and a ton of garlic.

This easy rau muong recipe only takes 10 minutes to make and is packed with delicious, garlicky, savory, and umami flavors. Vietnamese stir-fried morning glory is our favorite way to add greens to our weeknight dinners.

What is rau muong?

Rau muong, also called morning glory, water spinach, ong choy in Cantonese, phak bung in Thai, and kangkong in Filipino. It’s a mildly sweet, slightly grassy vegetable that has crisp, juicy stems and soft, silky leaves.

It has a fresh, mild sweetness that is less earthy than spinach’s, and a lightly grassy flavor similar to bok choy. In Vietnamese cooking, water spinach is most commonly used in stir-fries with garlic, soups, hot pots, and salads. You can serve this rau muong recipe as a side dish, family-style, with steamed white rice and a side of thit kho tau (Vietnamese braised pork belly).

Ingredients

You can find all of the ingredients for this rau muong xao toi recipe at your local grocery store. Full measurements and links to the ingredients I used are listed in the recipe card below.

• Rau Muong: or morning glory or water spinach
• Garlic: fresh garlic is the main aromatic. For extra garlicky flavor, top with fried garlic pieces.
• Oyster Sauce: adds rich, savory, sweet, and umami flavor.
• Fish Sauce: adds salty, savory, funky flavor.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder: for added savory flavors.
• Sugar: to balance out the slight bitterness in the morning glory.

Substitutions and Additions

Substitutions

• Oyster sauce only: instead of mixing seasoning ingredients you can use just oyster sauce.
• Chicken bouillon powder only: or you can use just chicken bouillon powder.

Additions

• Maagi: for added umami saltiness.
• Chili oil: Drizzle some homemade chili oil for some added spice.

How to Make Rau Muong Xao Toi

Here are the step-by-step instructions for making this rau muong xao toi, or morning glory stir-fry recipe.

1. Wash the morning glory and slice into 4-5 inch pieces.

2. Boil a pot of salted water over high heat. Then blanch for 20 seconds. Remove and shock in ice water, then gently squeeze out all the excess water.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat one tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds. Then add the morning glory, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chicken bouillon powder, and sugar, and toss until just combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Serve the morning glory stir fry with rice and enjoy!

Storage Instructions

You can store any leftover morning glory stir fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat: heat on a hot wok or pan for 1-2 minutes. Or you can microwave covered with a wet paper towel until warm

FAQ

Do I need to blanch the rau muong?

No, not necessarily. You can saute the water spinach fresh if you’d like. However, blanching will help the stems cook evenly, retain their bright green color, reduce bitterness, and shorten stir-fry time.

What are the other names for rau muong?

In English, it is called morning glory or water spinach. In other languages, it is called ong choy in Cantonese, kang kong in Filipino, phak bung in Thai, and kangkung in Malaysian.

Is morning glory healthy?

Yes! It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and antioxidants.

Rau Muong Xao Toi Recipe