Lahpet Thoke 茶葉沙律

Lahpet Thoke, or Burmese Tea Leaf Salad, is a unique and flavorful dish made from fermented tea leaves (lahpet) mixed with a variety of crunchy nuts and beans, fresh vegetables, garlic oil, and a tangy dressing. It's a national delicacy of Myanmar, celebrated for its complex textures and tastes, ranging from sour and bitter to umami and spicy.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ingredients

• 100g pickled tea leaves (lahpet)
• 50g fried yellow split peas
• 50g fried peanuts
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 50g cabbage, thinly shredded
• 2 green chilies, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp peanut oil
• 0.5 tsp salt
• Small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Steps

1. Heat a small amount of peanut oil in a pan. Fry the thinly sliced garlic until golden brown and crispy. Remove garlic chips and set aside, reserving the oil.
2. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Slice the tomato, thinly shred the cabbage, thinly slice the green chilies, and roughly chop the fresh cilantro.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the pickled tea leaves, fried yellow split peas, fried peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, sliced tomato, shredded cabbage, and sliced green chilies. Add about half of the prepared garlic chips.
4. Pour in the lime juice, fish sauce, and the reserved peanut oil (from frying garlic) over the ingredients in the bowl. Season with salt.
5. Using clean hands or two large spoons, thoroughly mix all the ingredients together until they are well combined and the dressing coats everything evenly. This is best done by hand to gently crush some of the tea leaves and allow flavors to meld.
6. Transfer the Lahpet Thoke to a serving plate. Garnish with the remaining fried garlic chips and chopped fresh cilantro before serving immediately.

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