Traditional Burmese Tea Leaf Salad

Experience the vibrant flavors of Myanmar with this Traditional Burmese Tea Leaf Salad, also known as Lahpet Thoke. Delight in the unique process of fermenting tea leaves to create a rich and flavorful paste that will elevate every bite of this exquisite dish.

Ingredients

1	cup white vinegar
1	cup water
¼	cup loose green tea leaves (Sencha)
¼	cup sesame oil
¼	cup avocado oil
1	tablespoon Maggi seasoning
1	tablespoon fish sauce
½	lemon
1	tablespoon ginger
1	garlic clove
	sea salt (to taste)
1	head romain lettuce, chopped
2	tomatoes, diced
¼	cup toasted sesame seeds
⅓	cup unsalted roasted sunflower seeds
½	cup unsalted roasted peanuts
⅓	cup fried garlic
1	lemon

Instructions

• Preparation of Tea Leaves

  1. Sort tea leaves, ensuring to remove any twigs or hard pieces.
  2. In a pot, combine white vinegar and water, bringing it to a boil. Steep tea leaves in the liquid for a minimum of 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the tea leaves.
  3. Soak tea leaves in cold water for 1 hour. Drain and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.
  4. Using a food processor, combine tea leaves with sesame oil, avocado oil, Maggi seasoning, fish sauce, lemon, ginger, garlic cloves, and sea salt. Process the mixture until the tea leaves are finely minced into a paste. Store the fermented tea leaf paste in an airtight glass container, allowing it to ferment at room temperature for 2 days.

• Assembling the Salad

  1. On a plate, arrange chopped romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, and lemon wedges. Place each of the remaining ingredients on top of the salad - sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, roasted peanuts, and fried garlic. Add a generous scoop of the fermented tea leaf paste to the center of the plate, adjusting the amount as needed.
  2. Just before serving, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients.

Aug 02, 2024