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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)




Sometime i feel a lot of shops will getting lesser business if i continue to homemade a lot of foods, hehehe..From the last homemade salted eggs, this time i try to pickle mustard green, Hokkien people called as Kiam Chai or Hum Choy in Cantonese..
Also partly due to i bought some cheap mustard green from wet market the other day, RM 2 per kg..

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)


Rinsed, drained and cut large heads of mustard greens into half..

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)

Rub salt in between the leaves and stem
Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)


 squeeze moisture from the mustard green and pour in brining solution

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)
Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)


Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)

 start to ferment for 7 days, this is the ready Kiam Chai (pickled mustard greens)

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)

First i cooked it with stingray, yummy!

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)

And we enjoyed it with fish meat in hotpot for dinner, replace rice with meehoon (rice vermicilli)


Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)

Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)
Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)




Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)
(recipe source: adapted from My Little Space and flavours lifestyle magazine, with minor changes)

Ingredients
2kg mustard greens (kai choy) 芥菜, rinsed & drained
Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens) 145g coarse salt

Brining solution
3-4 litres water, or enough to cover
4tbsp salt
40g ginger, sliced
1/2tsp turmeric powder
1tbsp rice flour, mixed with 4tbsp water

Equipment- ceramic crock and heavy object (example plate), or glass jar with lid and a plastic sheet & rubber band

Method

1. Cut large heads of mustard greens into half, rub salt in between the leaves and stem then set aside for about 6 hours to draw out the moisture and wilt the greens.
2. Bring water to boil together with all other brining ingredients. Then set aside to cool before used.
3. Squeeze moisture from the mustard greens and then pack them into jar.
4. Pour cooled brining solution into the jar to keep those mustard greens covered.
5. Cover the top with plastic sheet & tide it up with rubber band, then cover by lid and set aside to in a cool place to ferment for 5-7 days.
6. Check on the greens every day and skim off the whitish bloom that appears on the surface of the brining solution.
7. Remove the mustard green after the 7th day without squeezing out any liquid, discard brining solution.
8. Wrap the mustard greens in cling film and store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 months.



Spicy braised stingray with pickled mustard greens
(recipe source: adapted from flavours lifestyle magazine)

1kg stingray, cut into 5cm pieces
Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens)
Marinate
1tsp sugar
1tsp salt
A dash of pepper
1tsp sesame oil
1tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
3tbsp cornstarch

20g ginger, peeled and shredded
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
2 sprigs spring onions, separate white and green into 3cm in lengths
2tsp soy bean paste (taucheo)
350g pickled Hum Choy, soaked for 2hours, rinsed, squeezed dry and sliced
6 bird-eye chillies, chopped
6 red chillies, seeded and sliced
2 tomatoes, quartered
125ml water

Seasonings
1tbsp oyster sauce
2tsp Shao Xing rice wine
1tsp dark soy sauce
1tsp sesame oil
A dash of pepper

2tbsp potato starch, mixed with 2tbsp of water

Method

1. Mix stingray with the marinate and refrigerate for 1hour.
2. Deep fry stingray until lightly browned, set aside.
3. Remain some oil in the wok and sauté ginger, garlic and the white spring onion section until fragrant.
4. Add the bean paste and fry until aromatic. Add Hum Choy and stir-fry for 3mins.
5. Then add stingray, chillies, tomatoes, water and seasonings. Bring to boil and simmer over low heat, covered for 10mins.
6. Thicken the sauce with starch mixture, mix in the green section of spring onion and remove from heat. Enjoy!!


Fish meat hotpot 鱼肉炉
(recipe source: by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover)

Stock (ikan bilis, soy bean, onion with water)
Kiam Chai / Hum Choy (Homemade Pickled Mustard Greens) Chinese cabbage
Pickled mustard green
Spring onion
Tomatoes
Yam, sliced and deep fry
Soft tofu
Pickled plum
Lemongrass, crushed
Salt to taste
Instant stock powder

Fish meat
Meehoon noodles (rice vermicelli), blanched in hot water, set aside

Method

1. Boil all ingredients with stock except fish meat and noodles in a hotpot.
2. Add in fish meat and noodles, enjoy!

49 comments:

Ana Regalado said...

You could have given any professional a run for his money both on your cooking and baking ability ;D It looks good ! I'm salivating over your stingray with preserved mustard dish ! Yum !!!

zila norazila said...

hungry tummy...the best menu...:)

Anonymous said...

great job! I'd always wondered how Kiam Chye is made and you'd demystified it for me!

Hody Loh said...

When i see your post..i feel very funny..why??? that day we go tesco look for hum choy.My mother say packing hum choy taste no good..then i see fresh mustard greens.i told my mother why dont we make hum choy by ourself...she laughing at me..she say 'you are so funny.you know how to make meh'....tonight i will bring back this recipe for her...hahaha...

Rice Bowl Tales 有碗話碗 said...

I have always wanted to make my own preserved mustard greens, yay! Thank you also for the other two delicious meal ideas too, you're so thoughtful ~~

Yannie said...

Both dishes also look good.

Hody Loh said...

i feel like you know i want to make hum choy by myself...like 心有灵犀。。thank you so much...

Somewhere in Singapore said...

Thanks for sharing, if not would not have known how kiam chai is made...

ping said...

You're a genius, Sonia! You're right, you're going to put the stores out of business coz it won't be only you who won't be buying from them anymore. I'm learning all this from you and doing them as well :)

Simple Person said...

yup .. my mil use to make kiam chai..
it is cleaner making by ourself..
u r really great .. Kiam chai also know how to make...
what things you don't know how to make?

Angel @ Cook.Bake.Love said...

Really salute u. Thumb up!

Li Shuan said...

aiyo friend, very very pandai..dont know how many times I have praised you like that but still I think you are really pandai!! I love the kiam chai fish pot..how i wish i can have a bit pot here in front of me.

My Little Space said...

Sonia, whoa your hum choy looks good and thanks for the shout out as well. I personally love the homemade ones very much. It tastes so fresh. Maybe because 'sun xi hang'! (you know what I mean!) haha.....
Have a lovely evening.
Kristy

鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝 said...

这个很开胃
会不知不觉吃多几口饭:)

Elin said...

Sonia...you are a genius ! I will definitely try this out..I love kiam chye very much and whatmore homemade ones ! Kudos to you :)

daphne said...

that's awesome- now i know exactly whats go into home made kiam chye :)

Baby Sumo said...

I've never really thought of making my own kiam chai since it's so cheap to buy, but looks so easy to make from yr recipe. ;)

Shoutforfood said...

ham choy that is is my favourite especially with steam fish...

Little Corner of Mine said...

Looks so good and easy to make. Homemade is definitely better than store bought.

ann low said...

WOW!! I'm speechless ^-^ Thumbs UP for everything you made!

Sherleen.T said...

yes, you are right...many shops will get lesser business, not only the food stalls, the restaurants, the bakeries and so on so on...
but...home-made万岁...haha...what to do?
you keep doing, i keep learning...yeah! ^^

Unknown said...

your post is very timely. i was about to try and make pickled long beans to eat with breakfast chee cheong fun.

thanks for sharing

Little blue said...

Aiyo~~~so pandai~~~Sonia is a super good wife!

Sissi said...

I have never had mustard greens, not to mention pickled ones. They look fabulous. I love pickled vegetables in both vinegar and in salty brine. They remind me a bit of the Korean kimchi (minus the chili) which I am making constantly. Thanks for sharing this fascinating recipe.

Jessie-CookingMoments said...

I can only enjoy this mustard green. I never buy this mustard green to cook though I like it very much only becoz I have joint pain issues, esp in autumn & winter, my condition will be worse. I've to wear socks.....to keep myself warm! Let me just enjoy this dish visually!

chow and chatter said...

looks great and love the way you used it

Evy said...

Thanks for sharing.

Pushpa said...

Looks very perfect and delicious.

Amy Cheong, Desirablerecipes said...

My mother cooked this Hum Choy with Minced Meat and Tomato yesterday evening for our dinner. I just love this Hum Choy dish. Thanks for sharing how to make Hum Choy.

yvonne said...

Wah, homemade kiam chai! I love this dish very much, boost up my appetite and can finish 2 bowl of rice easily with any kiam chai dish.

So this vege is called mustard green. I used to cook porridge with the fresh one :)

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, really good post~~~

Awayofmind Bakery House said...

wow! Homemade kiam chai! I love this, copy down, copy down :)

Malay-Kadazan girl said...

Oh wow so many nice recipes there! You motivate me to grow more mustard this fall season. So healthy and safe making your own home-made!

Nami | Just One Cookbook said...

I love pickles - these mustard greens look good! I don't make enough pickles though. This mustard greens look great for fried rice. Japanese makes fried rice with pickled veggies called 高菜. I think this is Japanese veggies but I love the fried rice, and I have been looking for the picked veggies...

p.s. I'll respond to your email soon!

Shu Han said...

aiyo you truly are amazing sonia! I try to make everything from scratch too, but never even thought of pickling kiam chai! It's harder to come across here, but maybe I'll let my mum know. She likes to cook it with duck in soup, and it's so delicious! I bet even better if homemade!

Eileen@Hundred Eighty Degrees said...

So clever! Amazing..

Lite Home Bake said...

This is a very interesting post. Homemade kiam chai, i am impressed. Thanks for sharing, with this recipe available it will take just a little extra effort to have something that can be eaten with peace of mind. Kam sia!

Yee Er said...

Tkz Sonia for sharing the recipe....I do love Kiam Chai but dare nt eat much those store bought one, and now my husband has no reason to stop me eating them.

Julie said...

New to me...looks delicious !!

Rush in your "Mint & Coriander seeds" entries(EP Series-Apr)
Erivum Puliyum

foodydelight said...

Hello...I like pickles .This looks very delicious and mouthwatering.I liked your blog very much.Happy to follow you dear.Do visit my blog.
http://www.foodydelight.com/

Zoe said...

You are a genius making your own Kaim Chai!

WendyinKK said...

Hahaha... Oh yes,not only shops, but importers, manufacturers too! No one buy, then no one make.

lena said...

i wonder how do all those sellers make their ham choi? doesnt look too complicated making ham choi, eh? so much cleaner too!

Jayne said...

You recipe definitely comes in handy. I love the ones that has a sour taste than just plain salty. Does this pickling turned out with the sour tinge? Or is there any other ingredients to add for the sour variety?

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Jayne, yes, it turned out with sour tinge.

Kimmy said...

Hi Sonia, tried preserving mustard greens you way. Must 'thank you' for sharing this recipe. Was really good. I already made 2 batches and will make more when the price of mustard greens goes down, hehehe. People say 'kiam chye' creates wind 'hong' in our body. I alrdy ate them twice. So far so good.

Esther@thefussfreechef said...

Hi Sonia, i m trying this recipe today, sweating the mustard green in salt now. I dont have the rice flour , so didnt add. Wuld it affect the result??

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

Esther,should be ok otherwise you can replace with corn flour as sometime I run out of rice flour, I just replace with corn flour.

Unknown said...

hi Sonia, you are so clever and all ur home cooked food looks great! Do you know how how to cook 'sueen choy' sold by those who sell stewed ducks? Thank you, I enjoy reading ur blog!!!

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