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tea leaf salad

Tea Leaf Salad Recipe

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 240
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fermented tea leaves (lahpet)
  • 2 cups finely shredded green cabbage
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • ½ cup raw peanuts
  • ¼ cup neutral oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup fried yellow split peas (or ⅓ cup besan, toasted until golden)
  • 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp dried shrimp, optional
  • Small handful fresh cilantro leaves

Method
 

  1. Toast peanuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until golden; remove. Add oil and fry garlic slices for 1-2 minutes until crisp; remove garlic and reserve the oil.
  2. Whisk together lime juice, fish sauce, 1 tbsp of the garlic oil, and a pinch of salt (if skipping dried shrimp) until emulsified.
  3. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, tomato, toasted peanuts, fried legumes, and dried shrimp.
  4. Add fermented tea leaves and dressing; fold to coat evenly.
  5. Pile onto a plate, scatter with fried garlic, sesame seeds, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

The salad is best eaten right away. If your lahpet is very salty or bitter, a quick rinse under cold water helps. For a party, set out all the components and let guests build their own bowls.