Phat Phak Ruam — Thai Vegetable Stir-Fry / ผัดผักรวม

Pan-Thai — vegetable stir-fry as a technique is Chinese-influenced but has been integrated across Thai cooking

Phat phak ruam is not a single dish but a technique — the art of stir-frying mixed vegetables to achieve the correct texture for each element while maintaining a unified sauce. The Thai approach to vegetable stir-fry involves cooking more delicate vegetables (morning glory, Chinese spinach, bean sprouts) for under 60 seconds total, and harder vegetables (broccoli stems, baby corn, carrot) for 2–3 minutes before the softer elements are added. Garlic and oyster sauce are the minimal flavouring base. The wok must be scorching — the vegetables should 'jump' rather than steam, and slight charring of the leaf edges is correct.

The wok's direct heat caramelises the surface of vegetables in a way no other cooking method achieves — the slight char on the leaf edges of morning glory or gai lan is the Maillard signature that makes vegetable stir-fries far more flavourful than boiled or steamed alternatives.