Ingredients
Greens
- 1.5 kgmustard greens (cải bẹ xanh), whole
- 4spring onions, in lengths
Brine
- 1.5 litreswater
- 60 gsalt — a 4% brine
- 2 tbspsugar
To serve
- thịt kho, braised pork
- boiled pork and rice
- canh dua chua soup
Directions
- Wilt the mustard greens first. Spread them in the sun for half a day, or lay them out overnight in a cool room, until they have gone limp and lost their squeak.
- This wilting is the step everyone skips and it matters more than anything else. Crisp fresh greens hold too much water, dilute the brine and go slimy in the jar within two days.
- Wash the wilted greens well and cut them into 5 cm lengths, keeping the thick stems and the leaves together.
- Dissolve the salt and sugar in warm water and let the brine cool completely. The sugar is not for sweetness — it gives the lactic bacteria something to start on and gets the ferment going in a day rather than three.
- Pack the greens and spring onion into the jar and pour the cooled brine over to cover by 3 cm.
- Weigh everything down with a small plate or a bag of brine. Anything above the surface goes soft and mouldy.
- Cover loosely and leave at room temperature. In a warm Vietnamese kitchen it is ready in two days; in a cool one it takes four.
- It is ready when the greens have turned from deep green to olive-yellow and taste sharply sour with a clean smell.
- Refrigerate at once. Left out past the turning point it goes flabby and over-sour within a day.
- Squeeze out a handful and eat with braised pork, or simmer it into canh dua chua with fish or beef. It keeps two weeks cold.
Technique
- Wilt the greens first. This is the whole difference.
- Cooled brine, everything submerged.
- Refrigerate the moment the colour turns yellow.
Substitutions
- Bean sprouts and chives, which ferment the same way in a single day.
- Napa cabbage or kohlrabi leaves.
- A spoonful of rice water added to speed the ferment, which is an old habit.
Variations
- Dưa giá, the bean sprout version eaten at Tet.
- The Chinese suan cai and Korean kimchi are the same family of salt-fermented greens.
Frequently asked questions
What is Dua Chua?
Dua Chua is a fermented & pickled from Vietnam: mustard greens or bean sprouts brined until sour, served with rich braises.
How long does Dua Chua take to make?
Dua Chua takes 30 min plus 2 to 4 days of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 2-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Dua Chua?
Yes, within limits. Bean sprouts and chives, which ferment the same way in a single day. Napa cabbage or kohlrabi leaves. A spoonful of rice water added to speed the ferment, which is an old habit.
What is the most important thing to get right in Dua Chua?
Dissolve the salt and sugar in warm water and let the brine cool completely. The sugar is not for sweetness — it gives the lactic bacteria something to start on and gets the ferment going in a day rather than three.
