Drinking tea is cool but have you ever tried this Burmese Laphet Thoke tea lead salad? Recipe inside
You aren't a real tea drinker if you're not for once, willing to eat your tea instead of sipping it — let the Burmese Laphet Thoke lead the the way
You may be feeling a little weird about literally eating your tea leaves, especially if you haven't really exposed your taste buds to a whole lot of experimentation. Just know that the iconic Laphet Thoke is traditional, packed with flavour and exactly the gastronomic punch you need in the middle of the week! And what better day to try your hand at this than International Tea Day?
Burmese tea leaf salad
Ingredients: For the garlic chips — thinly sliced garlic - 1/4 cup, neutral oil (peanut or canola) - 1/3 cup; tea leaf dressing — lose green tea leaves - 3tbsps, freshly boiled water - 3 cups, coarsely chopped garlic clove - 1, coarsely peeled and chopped ginger - 1tbsp, fine sea salt - 1/2tsp, fish sauce - 1/2tsp, fried garlic oil - 1/4 cup, distilled white vinegar - 1/5tsp ( or 2tbsps of apple cider vinegar); for the salad — thinly sliced crisp lettuce - 5 to 6 cups, fish sauce - 1tsp (or 2 to 3 pinches of sea salt), diced tomatoes - 1 cup, chopped jalapenos or red chilies - 1/4 cup, fried garlic chips - 3 to 4tbsps, finely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts - 1/4 to 1/2 cup, roasted chickpeas, soynuts, or fried yellow split peas - 1/4 cup, roasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup, toasted sesame seeds - 1tbsp, dried shrimp powder - 2tbsps, quartered whole juicy lime - 1
Method: First for the garlic chips, place the garlic in a small saucepan and add enough oil to fully submerge them. Warm this over medium-low heat until it begins to gently sizzle. Let it cook for a few minutes, just until the garlic turns a light golden colour though this won't be crispy yet. Now lift the pan and swirl it gently to keep cooking the garlic while slowing the process. Once the garlic slightly deepens in colour, strain it through a metal mesh sieve set over a small bowl. Let the garlic sit for a few minutes, then spread it out on a paper towel for it to cool and crisp. You can use this right away or store it covered at room temperature for up to two days.
Now for the dressing, steep the tea leaves in hot water for about 3 minutes, then drain thoroughly, pressing out any excess liquid — you can actually drink this tea if you'd like, the perfect ode to Tea Day! As the leaves cool to room temperature, coarsely blend the garlic, ginger, and salt. Add the cooled tea leaves and process until you get a finer consistency. Pour in the oil, vinegar, and fish sauce and then pulse till a creamier texture is achieved. This should give you just about 1/2 a cup of dressing.
To assemble the salad, spread a layer of lettuce on a rimmed serving platter. Lightly drizzle with fish sauce or sprinkle with salt.
In your salad bowl of choice, arrange small heaps of tomatoes, chili, fried garlic, peanuts, roasted chickpeas, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and shrimp powder. Spoon the dressing into the center. When serving, squeeze half of the lime wedges over the salad and toss.
(recipe from Viet World Kitchen)
Will you be plunging head-first into Burmese cuisine today?
