Laphet Thote - Burmese Salad

A salad of pickled tea leaves served with various crunchy bits and sauces (fried peas, peanuts and garlic; toasted sesame, fresh garlic, tomato, green chili, crushed dried shrimps, preserved ginger) and dressed with peanut oil, fish sauce and lime. Unique and delicious

Serves 1, easily extended

(adapted from a recipe of the Daw Yeik Kyi Laphet THote Stand on Sule Pagoda Road, Yangon and the Green Elephant Restaurant in Mandalay at 27th and 6th Streets)

Ingredients:

1    tsp of fish sauce

1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds

1 1/2 tbsp fresh yellow beans (broad or butter beans)

1 1/2 tbsp dried yellow peas

1 1/2 tbsp roasted peanuts

Pinch of salt

1 tbsp tamarind juice

1 tbsp peanut oil

Optional:

1/4 cup shredded cabbage

1 sliced tomato

Qhole, raw, hot green chiles, aka Thai bird’s eye chiles

Raw garlic cloves, try to find the small Asian ones, skin on

Directions:

1. Boil the tea leaves until they are soft, then rinse with cold water to remove some of the bitterness.  2.  With a mortar and pestle, pulverize the leaves and fish sauce.  3.  Transfer to a bowl and knead the mixture by hand until blended.  Using a spoon won’t blend as well.  4.  Add in all of the remaining ingredients.  Taste and adjust ingredients for the balance of bitter/sour/salty/spicy that you prefer.  5.  For a zingy option, add shredded cabbage and sliced tomato and serve the salad with raw chile and garlic cloves on the side.