Thai Pad Pak Kwang Tung
Quick stir-fry dish with Mustard Greens
I did it again and just picked up some unfamiliar greens at the Asian supermarket. This time they were large leaves with thick stems that looked slightly like Chinese broccoli, but had a different shape. They were labeled as “Choi Sam” in the fresh produce section. At home, I found out online that this is “Chinese mustard,” which is known in Thailand as “Pak Kwang Tung” (ผักกวางตุ้ง).
Choi Sam is actually related to Chinese broccoli, or Pak Kanaa. Therefore, I prepared it very similarly to Pak Kanaa, and the result was just as delicious and
crispy as
Ingredients for two servings
- 6-8 stalks
Choi Sam - two cloves garlic
- 2 Thai chilis
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation
As with all stir-fry dishes, preparation is everything. Therefore, first peel the garlic and cut it into fine strips before cutting the Thai chilis into thin rings. If you like, you can remove the seeds, but I keep them in like Uncle Roger.
Next, thoroughly wash the Choi Sam leaves and then dry them slightly, though some moisture can remain on the leaves - this helps with the quick cooking process in the wok. Then cut the leaves into two to three centimeter wide pieces.
Finally, mix the oyster sauce with the fish sauce and water, and stir in the palm sugar until it has completely dissolved.
Now heat the wok or a large pan and add the vegetable oil. Then add the garlic along with the chilis and fry both. As soon as both release their aroma, add the Choi Sam stems and fry them for one to two minutes.
Next, deglaze everything with the sauce mixture, reduce the heat slightly, add the leaves, mix well, and then simmer for a maximum of two minutes so the Choi Sam remains crisp.
Serve the finished Pad Pak Kwang Tung immediately steaming hot together with jasmine rice.
