Mustard Green Stir Fry – China Sichuan Food

Mustard greens are also referred to as leaf mustard or Chinese leaf mustard. I am quite familiar with this green vegetable from childhood. My grandma loves to make pickled mustard greens or use them to make our unique preserved vegetables.

Sichuan cuisine is famous for its pickled vegetables and dried vegetables. The most common usage in Chinese cuisine is pickled mustard greens. Pickled mustard greens are a staple of Sichuan cuisine. There are many popular Sichuan dishes that use pickled mustard greens, such as shredded mustard green noodles (suancai rou si) and Suancai Yu.

In addition, other varieties are cultivated in China. Some with a larger stem, which is used to make dried vegetables (zaicai si) or pickled Zhai Cai, while others might have a smaller lobus apicalis like potherb mustard. Mustard group vegetables are considered among the healthiest green vegetables in China due to their ability to relieve constipation, reduce toxicity, and have anti-infection effects.

I bought a large batch of mustard greens to make pickled mustard greens as a further preparation for my Suancai Yu (Boiled fish with Suancai, a sister recipe to the Shui Zu Yu recipe). I get some leafovers, so I make this quick stir-fry dish.

Stir-fried mustard greens are really simple but taste super fresh. Besides, I do like the pure green color, looking so appealing and inviting. In addition, mustard greens can be used in a soup recipe, for example, mustard green tofu soup.

Blanching or Not?

If you get fresh, high-quality mustard greens without prickly hairs, you can skip blanching and fry them directly.

In contrast, if you feel the leaves have prickly hairs. Blanching them in hot boiling water for 1 minute can help to remove the hairs.

Oil and Aromatics

I recommend lard as the top choice for this stir-fry. If you want a vegan version, coconut oil can be a great substitute.

You will also need roughly chopped garlic and several dried chili peppers. Fresh Thai pepper can be a great substitute, too.

• 1 head large mustard green , remove the heads and cut into sections
• 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
• 3-4 dry chili pepper cut into sections or replace with 1 fresh Thai chili pepper
• 2 tbsp oil recommend lard
• Salt as needed

• Clean and wash the mustard greens carefully, drain and then cut into small pieces.

• Heat up cooking oil in wok, add garlic and chili pepper, fry until aromatic over slow fire.

• Turn up the fire, add mustard green in. Quicky fry for around 1 minute. Mix in salt.

• Transfer out and serving with steamed rice or other staple food your like.

If you feel the leaves have prickly hairs, add them to a large pot of boiling water with several drops of cooking oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blanch the mustard greens around the tough part for 10 seconds, then leave for 2 ~3 seconds. Transfer out and drain before stir-frying.
This recipe was first published in 2014 and updated in 2026.  
 

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 984mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2300IU | Vitamin C: 60.1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1.2mg