Mai

As with many other cultures around the world, fermented/pickled foods is an important category in Vietnamese cuisine, born out a need to preserve foods. The most recognizable one internationally is probably the pickled carrots and radish that is often added in bánh mì. There are many others like: cà pháo, dưa món, củ kiệu, etc.

Dưa muối (also known as dưa cải or dưa cải chua) is another common preserve and is a must-have side dish for Tết, especially for a Northern family.

With so many different flavorful dishes on the table for Lunar New Year, these fermented mustard greens serve as a great palate cleanser and add balance to the meal.

“Cải bẹ xanh” in Vietnamese, these greens are quite bitter and peppery when raw. As a kid, I would boycott soups that my mom made with these fresh greens, but would happily chow down the fermented version.

The pickling process gradually takes away most of the original pepperiness and you are left with just enough of a bite to balance out the lovely sharp tanginess. My favorite part is definitely the thick stem pieces, which become super crunchy with just the right acidity.

The process of making dưa muối is simple, but requires some time and patience. For the best final result, you need to prep the greens correctly and to make a good balanced brine. It takes 3-5 days, on average- depending on your ambient temperature, for the pickling to complete- so the best time to make dưa muối is about a week before Tất Niên (New Year’s Eve dinner).

After Tết, if you can use leftover pork belly and dưa muối to make our Tết leftovers sandwich! When your remaining dưa muối becomes a little too sour, you can use it to make some delicious soups (canh dưa chua) and sautéed dishes.

INGREDIENTS FOR DƯA MUỐI

• Cải bẹ xanh – Chinese/Asian mustard greens – gai choy: these greens are quite bitter and peppery when fresh. They can be used to make stirfries and soups, but it is an acquired taste. The pickling progress takes away most of the bite, but leaves just enough for a lovely balance of flavors.
• Shallot – Hành khô/hành tím
• Green onion – Hành lá
• Bird’s eye chilies – Ớt hiểm
• Salt – Muối
• White granulated sugar – Đường cát trắng
• Vinegar – Giấm: this is optional, but adding a little bit of vinegar is helpful in speeding up the fermentation process.

DIRECTIONS FOR DƯA MUỐI

1. Cut at the base of each stem and separate the individual stems from the root end. Do not wash the greens.
2. Lay the greens in a single layer on trays or baking sheets. Fan out the leaves as much as you can.
3. Set tray in a sunny place (preferably outdoors) for at least 5 hours. This allows moisture in the greens to evaporate, leaving behind more room for the brine to soak into them and lead to better flavors and a crunchier texture.
4. Rinse the greens and let dry completely.
5. In the meantime, sanitize your jar and pickling weight (if using) with boiling water. Let dry/cool to room temperature.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the brine until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved. Set aside.
7. Discard the roots and cut green onions into 4-5cm lengths.
8. Peel shallots and cut into halves or thirds crosswise.
9. Once the mustard greens are dry, cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 3-5cm). I tend to cut thick stem pieces a bit smaller than leafy pieces.
   TIP: separate your cut pieces into leaf and stem on a baking tray. You’ll want to add the stem pieces to the jar first and the leaf pieces to the jar last because it takes stem pieces longer to absorb the brine.
10. To your jar: add a layer of the mustard greens (stem pieces first), followed by some pieces of green onions, shallots, and chilies. Repeat until all the greens are in the jar.
11. Pour the brine into the jar.
    NOTE: Save some brine to fill the ziplock bag if you are using one instead of a pickle weight.
12. Using a clean wooden spoon or spatula, pack the greens down tightly to remove air bubbles and ensure everything is fully submerged in the brine.
13. Add your pickle weight or fill your ziplock bag with the remaining brine and place on top of the greens.
14. Close the jar and store in a location with bright but indirect sunlight and good airflow.
15. Your dưa muối should be ready in 3-5 days, depending on ambient temperature, as well as your preference of bitterness/sourness. My preferred level is 5 days.
16. Once your dưa muối has reached your desired taste, move the jar to the fridge to slow down the fermentation.

RECIPE VIDEO

Dưa muối • Fermented mustard greens

Course: SidesCuisine: VietnameseDifficulty: Easy

Prep time

20

minutes

Resting Time

1

hour 

12

minutes

Crunchy and tangy balanced with a hint of pepperiness, these Vietnamese fermented mustard greens are the perfect accompaniment to your dinner, especially during Tết. Also known as dưa cải or dưa cải chua.

Ingredients

• 1 kg 1 cải bẹ xanh (chinese/asian mustard greens, gai choy)

• 50 g 50 shallot

• 15 g 15 green onion

• A few bird’s eye chilies (optional)

• Brine

• 1.5 liter 1.5 water (room temp)

• 75 g 75 salt

• 20 g 20 granulated white sugar

• 1 tsp 1 vinegar (optional to speed up the process)

• Tools

• 1 1 glass jar (3-4 liter capacity)

• Pickling weight or a small clean ziplock bag

Directions

• Cut at the base of each stem and separate the individual stems from the root end. Do not wash the greens.
• Lay the greens in a single layer on trays or baking sheets. Fan out the leaves as much as you can.
• Set tray in a sunny place (preferably outdoors) for at least 5 hours. This allows moisture in the greens to evaporate, leaving behind more room for the brine to soak into them and lead to better flavors and a crunchier texture.
• Rinse the greens and let dry completely.
• In the meantime, sanitize your jar and pickling weight (if using) with boiling water. Let dry/cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the brine until the salt and sugar have fully dissolved. Set aside.
• Discard the roots and cut green onions into 4-5cm lengths.
• Peel shallots and cut into halves or thirds crosswise.
• Once the mustard greens are dry, cut them into bite-sized pieces (about 3-5cm). I tend to cut thick stem pieces a bit smaller than leafy pieces.
  TIP: separate your cut pieces into leaf and stem on a baking tray. You’ll want to add the stem pieces to the jar first and the leaf pieces to the jar last because it takes stem pieces longer to absorb the brine.
• To your jar: add a layer of the mustard greens (stem pieces first), followed by some pieces of green onions, shallots, and chilies. Repeat until all the greens are in the jar.
• Pour the brine into the jar.
  NOTE: Save some brine to fill the ziplock bag if you are using one instead of a pickle weight.
• Using a clean wooden spoon or spatula, pack the greens down tightly to remove air bubbles and ensure everything is fully submerged in the brine.
• Add your pickle weight or fill your ziplock bag with the remaining brine and place on top of the greens.
• Close the jar and store in a location with bright but indirect sunlight and good airflow.
• Your dưa muối should be ready in 3-5 days, depending on ambient temperature, as well as your preference of bitterness/sourness. My preferred level is 5 days.
• Once your dưa muối has reached your desired taste, move the jar to the fridge to slow down the fermentation.

Recipe Video

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