Thai · Authentic-ish Thai
Morning Glory Stir-fry
91 kcal a serving, against 179 for the traditional version. That is 88 kcal off, or 49%, with 11.3g of protein. Serves 4. 15 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Water spinach, cut into 7cm lengths, flash-fried on maximum heat in a wok with loads of garlic, sliced red chillies, yellow bean paste and a good handful of fish sauce. The wok gets a serious pour of oil, which gives the greens a slick coat and carries all the aromatics. The stems go tender, the leaves wilt, and everything gets a dark glossy finish.
What changed, and what each change costs
Cut vegetable oil from 60g to 5g
The original goes all-in on the oil to get that smoky, almost fried flavour. Drop to a teaspoon and the wok won't blister the stems. The greens steam more than they fry, so there's less gloss and the garlic and chilli don't infuse the oil as much.
What it costs you. No two ways about it - you lose the deep, nutty aroma and the sticky finish. You gain a dish that feels clean, not greasy, and you don't need to scrub the extractor after cooking. It's the first thing anyone will notice, so if you're expecting takeaway gloss, you'll be disappointed.
Swap water spinach for regular spinach
Unless you live near an Asian supermarket, authentic morning glory (water spinach) is wishful thinking. Plain spinach is easy, cooks fast, and bulks up the veg. The flavour's milder, the crunch is gone, but it's still green and soaks up sauce like a sponge.
What it costs you. You lose the hollow crunch of morning glory. Spinach wilts faster and doesn't hold up under pounding heat, but at least you won't be picking tough stems out of your teeth. Not quite the same, but it means you can make the dish whenever you want.
Boost garlic and chilli, cut yellow bean paste by a third
The yellow bean paste is mostly for umami, but it's also salty and heavy. Dropping the amount and piling up on garlic and chilli keeps the punch and makes it taste bigger without so much sodium.
What it costs you. The sauce is thinner, and the salty funk is less intense. You'll notice the garlic first now, not the beans. If you're all about the fermented hit, this isn't quite enough, but the heat is bigger and brighter.
Add 120g cooked chicken breast, thinly sliced
If you're chasing after more protein, there's only so much you can do with a bowl of greens. Adding sliced chicken breast makes it dinner, not just a side.
What it costs you. This is the swap that makes it a meal for four, not just a giant bowl of veg. You don't get four identical plates at the end, but each portion is enough for dinner, not just a pile of wilted leaves.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 179 | 91 |
| Protein | 4.6g | 11.3g |
| Fat | 15.5g | 2.5g |
| Saturated fat | 2g | 0.4g |
| Carbohydrate | 7g | 7.1g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 2.6g | 12.4g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Thai prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. fish, gluten, soybeans.
The method is in the book
If you want the deepest, wok-breathed, glossy plate, you'll miss the old recipe. But with chicken and spinach, this is a quick way to get a hefty pile of veg and some proper lean protein on the table for dinner. It's not the classic, but at half past seven on a Tuesday, I'd still take it.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Thai, along with 50 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.