Chinese Preserved Mustard Greens (Hum Choy)

PRESERVED MUSTARD GREENS

or those who have been living away from home and can't buy them or you may just want to make your own...here is how:

1.5 kg mustard greens (kai choy)*

6-8 tbsp coarse sea salt

2 litre old coconut water or rice water**

2 tbsp sugar

1. Wash the vegetables and put them out to dry in the clothes line, upside-down for about 4-5 hrs or until just withered.

2. Divide vegetables into 3 portions. Place one portion on a dry cutting board and sprinkle salt on them. Rub salt onto vegetables against the board so as to bruise the vegetables and let them water and turn a dark green colour. Fold into a neat bundle and place them into a glass jar (washed and dried) with cover.Repeat with the other 2 portions.

3. To prepare the rice water: Wash rice (for about 4 people) with water and collect this ( white murky looking) water and place it in the saucepan. Do this twice to make up about 2 litre. Bring this rice water to boil with the sugar. Remove from fire and let it cool slightly before using.

4. When rice water has cool slightly (for about 10 minutes) but still hot, pour it into the glass jar with the salted vegetables and weight them down with a stone or heavy pestle. Cover.

5. Leave to pickle for about 3-4 days before they are ready for eating.

6. The vegetables will turn a golden brown colour when they are ready. Remove from the salted solution and place them in the fridge. They should keep for about 2 weeks.

Tip: Bruising the vegetables will make the pickling solution easier to penetrate into the fiber. Sugar in the rice water helps to speed up fermentation which cause it to have a slight acidic taste. Boiling the pickling solution, of course, is to sterilise the liquid before using.
* You can also use radish leaves.
** Water from old coconuts can also be used. Coconut water will give a more sour taste than rice water.

Here's a simple fish receipe to cook with your preserved mustard greens:

STEWED FISH WITH PRESERVED MUSTARD GREENS

1 medium-sized flathead or red snapper, washed and pat dry

500g preserved mustard greens, sliced
1 tbsp preserved bean paste

2 pips garlic, chopped

1 red chilli (optional), seeded and sliced

1 cup water

1 tspn cornflour mixed with 1/3 cup water

soya sauce and sugar to taste

Oil for frying

1. Heat up oil in a wok and fry fish until just cooked and browned slightly. Remove and keep aside.

2. Leave about 3 tbsp oil in the wok and fry garlic and bean paste until brown. Add in preserved mustard greens and chilli and stir-fry for another 2 minutes in medium fire.

3. Add in fish and cover it with the preserved vegetables. Add in water and seasoning and let it boil, covered, in medium-low heat.

4. When liquid has been reduced by half, add in seasoning (sugar and soya sauce) to taste. Lastly, stir in cornflour solution to thicken sauce.

5. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice.

Tip: Just in case your preserved vegetables is not sour enough, you may add in about 1 to 2 tablespoons of white vinegar when cooking them. Balance the sourness with the sugar and salt/soya sauce.