Chai Buey
Chai Buey is a Nyonya-style sour and spicy vegetable stew made with Chinese mustard greens, tamarind, dried chillies and fresh aromatics. The Thermomix TM7 chops the garlic and ginger, grinds the chillies and simmers everything hands-free for a tangy, comforting main course with authentic depth of flavour.
About this recipe
Chai Buey Thermomix TM7 recipes bring the bold, tangy flavours of Nyonya cooking straight into your kitchen with your all-in-one kitchen machine. This sour-spicy stew combines Chinese mustard greens with dried tamarind pieces, known as asam keping, dried chillies, fresh tomatoes, garlic and ginger into one deeply aromatic pot. It works brilliantly in the TM7 because the machine chops the aromatics finely, grinds the chillies evenly and then simmers the broth with steady heat, extracting the tamarind's fruity sourness without any scorching. The result is a quick weeknight dinner with tender greens and a complex sweet-sour-spicy broth that tastes slowly made. Perfect for lovers of Malaysian and Peranakan cuisine, this one-bowl main course also makes clever use of leftover vegetables, turning humble ingredients into a memorable family meal with minimal washing up afterwards.
Preparation tips
- Rinse the dried tamarind pieces (asam keping) briefly before adding them so the broth turns pleasantly sour rather than overwhelmingly sharp; you can always add an extra piece during simmering for more tang.
- Cut the Chinese mustard greens into larger chunks as they shrink considerably; add the leafy parts later than the stems so both retain a slight bite in the finished stew.
- For a heartier version, add pieces of leftover roast pork or prawns in the final minutes, and serve with steamed jasmine rice to soak up the tangy chilli-tamarind broth.
Recipe variations
- Vegetarian Chai Buey: replace the chicken stock powder with vegetable stock powder and add fried tofu puffs or mushrooms for body; the tamarind and chilli base keeps the broth equally tangy and aromatic.
- Festive leftover version: after a celebration dinner, toss in leftover roast duck, pork or ham trimmings with the mustard greens; the sour broth cuts through the richness beautifully, a traditional way to enjoy Chai Buey.
Thermomix TM7 Benefits
- Time savings - The Thermomix chops garlic cloves and ginger in seconds, replacing slow hand prep with an aromatic base in moments. [Chopping]. [Time Savings]
- Multi-functionality - One TM7 bowl grinds dried chillies into a fine, even paste without a separate spice grinder. [Grinding]. [Multi-Function]
- Temperature control - The Thermomix heats the tamarind broth steadily, preventing the chilli paste from scorching on the base. [Heating]. [Precision Control]
- Hands-free - The TM7 stirs the mustard greens unattended while the sour flavours develop fully in the stew. [Mixing]. [Hands-Free]
- Built-in scale - Weigh cooking oil and sugar directly in the Thermomix bowl for a balanced sweet-sour balance every time. [Weighing]. [Time Savings]
Ingredients
- garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- fresh tomatoes
- dried chillies
- dried tamarind pieces (asam keping)
- cooking oil
- Chinese mustard greens
- water
- chicken stock powder
- sugar