Suon chay kho tieu xanh nuoc dua is remembered for the clean sweetness of coconut water and the tingle of green peppercorns. The difficulty is that mock ribs fall apart in a braise, and a heavy hand with the spoon breaks them into crumbs.
A quick fry to a light gold before braising firms the pieces up and keeps their shape. The heat goes up at the end so the sauce thickens and coats every piece.
This batch weighs about 860g, at roughly 197 calories per 100g.
Method
Slice the leek thinly, cut the carrot into pieces about 5cm, wash the king oyster mushrooms and halve them, and bruise the green peppercorns.
Rinse the mock ribs to clean off any dust, soak them in water for 30 minutes until soft, squeeze them dry and cut them into 4 pieces.
Rinse the tofu, wipe it dry and cut it into blocks about 2cm thick.
Set a pan of oil over the heat and once it is hot fry the mock ribs until lightly golden, then lift them out. Fry the tofu to the same light gold and take it out.
Put 2 tablespoons cooking oil in a pan and once it is hot fry the leek and green peppercorns with 1 teaspoon annatto oil until fragrant.
Add the mock ribs, king oyster mushrooms and carrot and stir, then pour in 200ml fresh coconut water. When the coconut water starts to thicken, add 100ml cold water and season with 1 tablespoon chili sauce, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, 1 teaspoon seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon MSG and 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
Raise the heat and braise until the sauce thickens and reduces, then turn off the heat, transfer to a plate and finish with chili and leek.
Tips
Frying the mock ribs and tofu before braising firms the pieces up so they hold together in the pan.
Dried mock ribs need the full 30 minute soak and a good squeeze, that is what makes them evenly soft.
High heat at the end thickens the sauce so it coats everything in the pan.
Halve the king oyster mushrooms rather than slicing them thin, since thin slices shrink and lose their chew.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.