Dua Cai Muoi Chua (Vietnamese Pickled Mustard Greens)
Vietnamese dishesPicklesNationwideone day of sun for the greens, ready to eat after 2 to 3 days of pickling
Dua cai muoi chua needs only sun, salt and a clean glass jar. Mustard greens wilted in the sun turn golden, crisp and gently sour, and go with braised pork or braised fish alike. The brine is where it usually goes wrong: too salty and the greens taste harsh, too weak and a film forms on top.
Wilt the greens until they feel pliable but do not snap, since greens that are still too fresh turn limp in the jar. The jar and the weight both have to be completely dry, because a trace of tap water will spoil the batch.
This batch weighs about 2.1kg, at roughly 14 calories per 100g.
Method
Spread 1kg mustard greens in the sun until the surface dries and a squeeze leaves them pliable rather than snapping.
Stem the chilies. Cut 20g spring onion into lengths and keep 10g of the roots. Wash everything and drain.
Split the wilted greens in half, separate the stalks or cut them into 3 to 5cm lengths, discard any yellow leaves, then wash and drain them.
Dissolve 20g salt and 9g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend in 1 liter cooled boiled water, stirring until nothing is left undissolved.
Pack a clean, dry glass jar in layers: greens, then spring onion and chili, and repeat.
Pour in the brine to cover the greens and set a clean, dry weight on top so they stay under the surface.
Cover the jar and keep it in a cool, airy spot, ready to eat after 2 to 3 days.
Tips
For sun wilted greens, 20g salt per liter of water is right, since a stronger brine turns harsh and makes the greens bitter.
Always use clean, dry chopsticks, because any oil or tap water on them brings on a film.
Keep the pickles out of metal containers, since the liquid is acidic, and use a glass jar or a stoneware crock.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so stir the brine, leave it 5 minutes and stir it again before pouring it into the jar.
Once the greens are sour enough, move the jar to the fridge, as leaving it out softens them and sharpens the sourness.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.