Hainan Chap Chye (Hainan Mixed Vegetable Stew) 海南杂菜 - 合家欢

This traditional Hainanese mixed vegetable stew is a must-have during our family's Chinese New Year Reunion dinner. In my father-in-law's Hainanese village, the dish is also known as '合家欢' which means whole family celebrate and rejoice.

This dish is easy to cook and tastes delicious. It goes well with steamed white rice or it can be eaten on its own. I cook this regularly because my family members love eating it. I love cooking this dish because it is one of those rare dishes which the kids would eat the vegetables. haha....

The main ingredients are green cabbage, black fungus, glass noodles, dried shrimps and garlic. I prefer Beijing cabbage as it is softer when braised, I add the carrot because it is good for the kids.

I sometimes add deep fried pork skin, soak it first before braising it together with the veggies. It tastes delicious when it has soaked up the resultant gravy.

Ingredients in this stew can include any combination of vegetables (such as carrots, dried bean curd, mushrooms, lily bulbs etc) or roast meat.

Ingredients :
1 small Chinese Beijing cabbage (cut into smaller slices)
1 stick carrot (cut according to your preference)
20 pieces black fungus (soaked, remove the hardened parts)
50 g glass noodles (soaked, cut into shorter lengths)
4 cloves garlic (diced)
50 g dried shrimps
oil for frying

Seasoning (according to your preference) :
pork rib soup or chicken stock
sesame oil
pepper
oyster sauce
light soy sauce

Method :

1.   Heat wok, pour in some oil.

2.   When oil is hot, fry the dried shrimps until fragrant. Add the diced garlic to fry until slightly brown, then toss in the cabbage, carrot and black fungus to fry well.

3.   When cabbage turns soft, add two rice bowls of soup to the vegetables, add in the glass noodles, cover the wok with a lid.

4.   Once the soup starts to boil, lower heat to simmer until the soup is drying up. Give it a good stir-fry before adding in another rice bowl of soup to braise the veggies.

5.   The longer you cook, the better the taste as the flavours of the ingredients mingle. When you re-heat, remember to add soup or water when the stew looks dry.

6.   Serve hot on its own or with steamed white rice.

Hainanese mixed vegetables with pork skin. 

海南杂菜
我们海南家庭的年菜, 也称合家欢。对我们海南人来说是意味一家大小聚首一堂。平时我也爱煮这道菜, 因为不用逼孩子们吃菜, 他们喜欢吃海南杂菜。 哈哈 。。。

材料 ：
北京包菜 — 一粒 （切小块）

红萝卜 —  一条 （切片）

黑木耳 — 20 朵（泡软）

虾米 — 50克（泡软）

冬粉— 50克（泡软）

油 — 2大匙
蒜茸 — 2大匙

调味料 (根据您的口味) ：
鸡汤
生抽
蚝油
胡椒粉
麻油

做法：

1.   将虾米和蒜茸爆香。

2.   加入包菜、红萝卜和黑木耳, 倒入两饭碗的鸡汤炒匀, 盖上锅焖一焖。鸡汤滚, 改用小火。

3.   鸡汤快干掉之前, 加入一饭碗的鸡汤炒匀后，再加入冬粉, 盖上锅焖一焖。

4.   倒入调味料炒匀，焖一焖。

5.   这道海南杂菜煮越久越够味。记得加热之前, 如果杂菜太干, 加一点汤或水。