Thai Pickled Mustard Greens (Pak Gad Dong)
Thai pickled mustard greens (Pak Gad Dong) are a delicious pickle vegetable used in many Thai dishes as a tasty side dish to boost flavors. If you love the strong taste of pickles, olives, capers, or any tasty pickled vegetables, you’ll love this recipe!
- Prep time
- 45 min
- Cook time
- 31 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
- 2 lb mustard greens, chopped into 3-4 inch pieces
- 1 cup sticky rice. Jasmine rice is fine, too
- 6 cup water
- 1/4 cup salt
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1-3 pc herbs. Choose garlic, ginger, fresh or dried chilis, chives, bay leaf, or green onions. All are optional and customized as needed.
- Large glass jar with lid
- Fermentation glass weight.
- Cotton nut milk bags or cheesecloth
- Ziplock bags are to be used with cooking twine or rubber bands.
Instructions
- 1
Soak the sticky rice in water in a large bowl for 15-20 minutes. Drain the milky-looking rice water and save it for pickling the mustard greens.
- 2
Add salt and vinegar to a medium-sized bowl and stir vigorously until the salt is mostly dissolved. Set aside for mixing in the jar later.
- 3
Then lightly smash the garlic and ginger (or any of your favorite herbs) to release the oil and add to the rice water.
- 4
Wash the mustard greens in cold water and let them dry, then cut them into large pieces, 3-4 inches long. Cut the thicker stems into thin pieces about 1/4 inch thick and 3-4 inches long, and place in a large bowl.
- 5
Add 1/2 tablespoon salt to the mustard greens and massage them with your fingers for 2-3 minutes. Rub salt into the greens until they look bruised and wilted.
- 6
Wash your glass container, towel dry, and add the chopped-up mustard greens to the jar. Layer the leaves with herbs of choice and tuck them in between. Pack it in tight.
- 7
Pour the cool, salty brine with vinegar into the jar, then add the reserved rice water until wholly covered with the mustard greens.
- 8
*Make sure there's enough brine to cover the top of the jar, or mold will form.*
- 9
Pour the soaked rice into a cotton cloth sack, synch the string tight, tie a knot, and place the sack over the mustard greens in the glass jar. This weight will help keep the mustard greens under brine water.
- 10
*It’s ok if the top of the sack is not completely submerged, but be sure all the mustard greens are.*
- 11
Fermentation time! Close the lid and keep the glass jar at room temperature. For a quicker fermentation, keeping it in a sunny spot is fine, too. This recipe is fast and easy and doesn't require a long time for the mustard greens to be pickled.
- 12
The color of the mustard greens will change from bright green to yellow as time passes. Check the mustard greens on day two and taste a small piece to see if you like the flavors.
- 13
If your mustard greens are getting spicy, remove the chilis. If the flavors fit your liking, you can do it here or pickle them for 2-4 more days for a more robust flavor. Once you are happy with the flavors, place the glass jar in the fridge.
- 14
They stay good for up to 4-6 weeks. Enjoy!