EZCR#20 - FRAGRANT BRAISED MUI CHOY WITH PORK BELLY

Braised mui choy with pork belly is a very common dish in most Chinese families. Each has their own way of preparing this dish. My neighbor cooks this dish very often to serve with plain porridge. At different times, the ingredients used and the portion of each ingredient varies thus the end result is different but all tasted good. 

Similarly, I have cooked this dish many times [vegetarian and non-vegetarian types], with meat or peanuts. They tasted good too, with rice or porridge. This recipe is another version of braised mui choy with the addition of cinnamon stick and star anise. Here again, it is as fragrant and tasty as others that I have prepared.

Ingredients

200 gm salty mui choy 

200 gm sweet mui choy

3 dried mushrooms – soaked and cut strips

300 gm pork belly – cut small pieces

5 dried chillies – soaked and cut halve

3 slices ginger

3 cloves garlic – chopped

1 star anise

3 cm piece cinnamon stick

3 tbsp oil

700 ml water [or enough to cover ingredients]

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar to taste
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1. Rinsed both mui choy well and soaked for 15 minutes. Squeeze them dry and cut thin strips.
2. Pan fry mui choy without oil in a non-stick pan until dry. Push aside.
3. Add oil in pan, fry pork belly until lightly brown, then add in dried mushrooms, fry well.
4. Add in ginger, garlic, dried chillies, star anise, cinnamon stick and seasoning. Stir fry to mix well, then add in water.
5. Bring to boil, then lower heat, cover pan to braise mui choy and pork belly until tender and gravy reduced. Taste to adjust seasoning.
6. Serve with rice or porridge.