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This is one of my favorite Grandma’s recipes, my family called it as simple as “Asam Chai” or “Kiam Chai” in Hokkien, which means Sour Asam Vegetable Stew. When I was young, I really didn’t know what are the ingredients in the bottom of the pot. Whenever my grandma cooked this dish, I would just dug up the vegetables and soup and I could just eat it with plain rice. This dish is basically cooked using the key ingredient of  Asam Gelugor, Asam Keping in Malay, or Tamarind juice.  By adding in some dried red chilies, ginger and garlic that bring out more of its exotic taste. Thus the vegetable stew is filled with flavors of hot, sourish and spicy tastes that are mouthwatering.

While getting to know about this dish, some families cook it differently by using the leftovers from dinner, like after the Chinese New Year celebrations. This is the best time you can make this dish by using the leftover dishes such as roast pork, chicken, duck and cook them with fresh mustard greens or pickle salted mustard. It is famously known as “Chai Buey” or 菜尾, literally means leftover.

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