Rehash your roast pork and leftovers in this popular Chai Boey (Mustard Greens Stew). It is a spicy and tangy soup delicious served with steamed rice.
If you ever have a bunch of leftovers and don’t know what to do with it, make Chai Boey (Mustard Greens Stew). This amazing spicy and tangy stew can incorporate all the flavors and still turned out delicious. Of course some leftovers like roast meats and stir fry vegetable work better than others. Like my mom, I am a little more selective of the kinds of dishes I throw into the mix but there really is no rule as to what can or cannot be included.
That said, Chai Boey is usually cooked “fresh” at our house. The only “leftover” I put in is Siew Yoke (Roasted Pork Belly). In fact, I usually make extra roast pork belly just so I have a little “leftover” for this stew. Often times I have to add in a little raw pork belly or pork shoulder to make up for the amount needed to give this stew sufficient flavor.
Besides roast pork belly, the other pertinent ingredients are kiam chai (pickled mustard greens), gai choy (tua chai/mustard greens), dried chilies, and dried assam gelugor (assam keping/tamarind slices). If you prefer a more spicy and tangy stew, add a few more dried chilies and assam gelugor. This recipe is very forgiving and the ingredients listed here are more of a guide. Please adjust accordingly.
I added some plum tomatoes into the stew to give it a little color and a tad more tartness. Sometimes, I also like to throw in a few fresh red chilies.
Chai Boey (Mustard Greens Stew)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 lb roast pork belly (or pork shoulder or a mix of the two), cut into bite-sized pieces (450g)
- 10 cups water (2.4 liters)
- 1 small packet pickled mustard greens (kiam chai), presoaked for an hour and cut into pieces (8.8 oz/250g)
- 2 lbs Chinese mustard greens (sliced) (900g)
- 6 dried chilies (soaked and softened in warm water)
- 5 pieces assam gelugor (tamarind slices)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- Salt to taste
- 3 plum tomatoes (Roma tomatoes) cut into bite-size pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add roast pork belly (or raw pork shoulder or a mix of the two). Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour water into the pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Add pickled mustard greens, Chinese mustard greens, dried chilies, assam gelugor (tamarind slices), and dark soy sauce. Any leftovers (roast meats and/or stir fry vegetables) you may wish to include should be added now. Cover and simmer for 1½ hours. Do stir occasionally.
- Season with a little salt if necessary. Add plum tomatoes. Cover and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes. Turn off stove.
Nutrition
Chai Boey (Mustard Greens Stew) goes really well with steamed rice. Did I mention sambal belacan? It is to die for with our “beloved” Sambal Belacan. Be sure to cook a little extra rice so that everyone is satisfied. 😉
Hi, the calories 411 kcal indicated is for 6 servings/bowl or just for one? My understanding is it’s the total. Correct me if I’m wrong.
It is for one serving.
Thanks. How about the serving size?
What’s the Chinese translation for pork shoulder? Is that the best part of the roasted pig for the chai Boey? Don’t know what to tell the roasted pork seller. Haha. Thanks!
Oh boy…I think it is “chi sau” in Cantonese…haha!
this is one of my favorites during winter time! however I only use 3 chilies, might be tricky cause some of the dried chilies are super spicy and some are not – depend on which store I bought them from.
Yes, some dried chilies can be pretty spicy. Always start with fewer so that you can adjust for the next time.
Good for my first time attempt
Thanks for this great recipe, it tasted exactly like the chai boey that would come with the chicken rice I used to get from Kedai Kopi Sin Lee Him by the wet market in Tanjung Bungah when I lived in Penang. Beautiful.
I am glad you were able to recreate the Chai Boey you enjoyed using my recipe. 🙂