Ingredients
Aubergines
- 1 kgsmall white Thai aubergines (cà pháo)
- 2 tbspsalt, for the soak
- salted water, for soaking
Brine
- 1 litrewater
- 50 gsalt — a 5% brine
- 1 tbspsugar
- 1 headgarlic, sliced
- 3bird’s eye chillies
- 2cm galangal, sliced, optional
To serve
- rice
- fish sauce with chilli
- canh cua crab soup
Directions
- Trim the calyx off each aubergine, leaving a short stub, and cut a shallow cross in the base so the brine gets inside.
- Soak them in salted water for 30 minutes as you go. Cut aubergine browns within minutes in air, and brown cà pháo makes a grey, unappetising jar.
- Drain, then dry them in the sun for two or three hours or spread them out in an airy place until the cut surfaces are dry to the touch. This is what keeps them crunchy.
- Dissolve the salt and sugar in the water and let the brine cool completely.
- Pack the aubergines into the jar with the garlic, chilli and galangal, pour the cooled brine over to cover by 3 cm, and weigh them down.
- They float hard, so the weight has to be a real one — a small plate with a water-filled bag on top. Any aubergine above the brine goes brown and soft and spoils the jar around it.
- Cover loosely and leave at room temperature five to seven days. The brine will cloud and fizz.
- Ferment them fully before eating. Underfermented cà pháo is bitter and hard on the stomach, and Vietnamese households are firm about waiting until they have turned pale yellow and taste properly sour rather than green.
- Refrigerate when they are sour and still crunchy. They keep a month.
- Eat them whole or crushed with rice, dipped in chilli fish sauce, or alongside crab soup.
Technique
- Salted water as you cut, then dry them before brining.
- Weigh them down hard. They float.
- Wait for the full sour. Underfermented is bitter and not worth eating.
Substitutions
- Small purple or green aubergines, though the white ones are traditional.
- A splash of rice water or whey to speed the ferment.
- Crushed with garlic and chilli into cà pháo dầm, eaten immediately.
Variations
- Cà bát muối, made with larger sliced aubergines and ready in two days.
- Eaten with mắm tôm, which is the classic northern pairing.
History
A northern Vietnamese kitchen staple, traditionally weighted under a stone in a stoneware jar.
Frequently asked questions
What is Ca Phao Muoi?
Ca Phao Muoi is a fermented & pickled from Vietnam: small white aubergines brined until crunchy and sour, eaten with rice and fish sauce. A northern Vietnamese kitchen staple, traditionally weighted under a stone in a stoneware jar.
How long does Ca Phao Muoi take to make?
Ca Phao Muoi takes 30 min plus 5 to 7 days of preparation and 5 min of cooking. The recipe makes fills a 1.5-litre jar. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Ca Phao Muoi?
Yes, within limits. Small purple or green aubergines, though the white ones are traditional. A splash of rice water or whey to speed the ferment. Crushed with garlic and chilli into cà pháo dầm, eaten immediately.
What is the most important thing to get right in Ca Phao Muoi?
Ferment them fully before eating. Underfermented cà pháo is bitter and hard on the stomach, and Vietnamese households are firm about waiting until they have turned pale yellow and taste properly sour rather than green.
