Pad pak boong moo krob is crispy pork with morning glory, or crispy pork with water spinach.
The “Morning glory” (pak boong), known as water spinach in English, is popularly used as a green vegetable in Asia, usually stir-fried with soy paste, garlic, chilies, soy sauce, and oyster sauce.
The main ingredient of this recipe is fried pork belly.
In Thailand, this is a key ingredient in many Thai pork recipes, such as Thai basil pork belly (krapow moo krob).
In Thai, pad means fried or stir-fried, pak boong is the Thai word for water spinach, and moo krob refers to crispy pork belly.
The sauce here is made with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce.
This is the one tasted at the restaurant of the resort “Villa Cha Cha” in Ao Nam Mao during my stay in Thailand in October and November 2024.
Find many recipes from around the world on the blog featuring fried pork belly:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2 People
- Cooking methods: Frying, Stove
- Cuisine: Thai
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz pork belly
- 3 cloves garlic
- 5 dried Thai chilies
- 7 oz water spinach
- 2 tbsps oyster sauce
- 2 tbsps light soy sauce
- 2 tbsps dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- as needed vegetable oil
Steps
Heat a large amount of oil over medium-high heat to fry the pork belly until golden and crispy. Allow to cool and drain excess oil, then slice thinly.
In a bowl, prepare the sauce by mixing together the soy sauces, white sugar, oyster sauce, and 5 tablespoons of water until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium heat. Sauté the dried chilies and garlic for 20 seconds.
Pour the sauce into the wok followed by the water spinach.
Stir-fry and let them cook until the leaves are wilted and the stems are tender-crisp.
Add the pre-fried pork belly slices into the pan and quickly stir-fry just enough to heat them up and coat them evenly with the sauce.
Serve hot alongside jasmine rice.
FAQ
What are the culinary uses of water spinach, ipomoea aquatica?
It is a very common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine, and fried water spinach is a very common vegetarian dish in the area.
In Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the tender stems and leaves are stir-fried with chili, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, and other spices.
In Penang and Ipoh, they are cooked with cuttlefish and a sweet-spicy sauce.
In Indonesian cuisine, they are called kangkung; boiled or blanched along with other vegetables, they often form the gado-gado served with the namesake peanut sauce.It is a very common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine, and fried water spinach is a very common vegetarian dish in the area.
In Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, the tender stems and leaves are stir-fried with chili, garlic, ginger, shrimp paste, and other spices.
In Penang and Ipoh, they are cooked with cuttlefish and a sweet-spicy sauce.
In Indonesian cuisine, they are called kangkung; boiled or blanched along with other vegetables, they often form the gado-gado served with the namesake peanut sauce.Why is the cultivation of morning glory prohibited in the United States?
Because in some parts of the United States, there are invasive species like Calystegia sepium, Ipomoea purpurea, and Ipomoea indica.
As of 2021, it is illegal to cultivate, possess, and sell most non-native species of Ipomoea in the U.S. state of Arizona, and before January 4, 2020, this ban also applied to native species. This is because some species of Convolvulaceae (like Convolvulus arvensis and Ipomoea × leucantha) are known to cause problems in crops, especially cotton fields.
Ipomoea aquatica is considered invasive at the federal level, although some states, like Texas, recognize its status as a “vegetable” and permit its cultivation.Because in some parts of the United States, there are invasive species like Calystegia sepium, Ipomoea purpurea, and Ipomoea indica.
As of 2021, it is illegal to cultivate, possess, and sell most non-native species of Ipomoea in the U.S. state of Arizona, and before January 4, 2020, this ban also applied to native species. This is because some species of Convolvulaceae (like Convolvulus arvensis and Ipomoea × leucantha) are known to cause problems in crops, especially cotton fields.
Ipomoea aquatica is considered invasive at the federal level, although some states, like Texas, recognize its status as a “vegetable” and permit its cultivation.
