Fermented Green Tea Salad (Lahpet Thoke)

Please note that the green leaves take four days to ferment and the yellow split peas need to soak overnight before frying. These times are NOT included in the prep time, so plan accordingly. The amount of fermented tea leaves will serve four the salad trimmings are per person.

Course Salad

Cuisine Burmese

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings see notes

Calories 636kcal

Author International Cuisine

Ingredients

For the fermented green tea leaves
1 cup of dried green tea leaves
1 cup cabbage finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
2 garlic cloves minced
Thai chili pepper minced
zest of 2 limes
juice of 2 limes
1 cup vegetable oil
Ingredients for the salad per person
1/2 cup fermented tea leaves
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon fried garlic (thinly sliced then fried about 4 cloves
1 tablespoon fried yellow split peas after soaking overnight
1 to mato diced
2 Tablespoons dried shrimp soaked in water for 10 minutes then drained
For the dressing
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon garlic oil

Instructions

Put the dried green tea leave in a bowl and cover with hot water for 10 minutes
Drain and then cover the tea leaves with lukewarm water.
Drain and repeat this process two more timeswhen you drain the leaves use a fine mes sieve and give it a good press to get rid of the bitter juices.
After pressing the liquid the last time, ad cold water and let the leaves soak for at least 2 hours up to 12 hours.
Drain again really pressing to remove as much liquid as possible from the leaves.
Put the leaves in a blender or food processor to finely chop the leaves.
In a bowl, mix together the tea leaves, shredded cabbage, cilantro, scallions, ginger, garlic and thai chili, mix well.
Add in the lime zest and juice and mix well.
Put the mixture into a large glass jar or container with a lid that you can cover tightly.
Let the mixture sit out at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Add 1 cup of vegetable oil to the mixture before serving.
the night before you are going to make the salad, soak the split peas
Fry the split peas until golden in a touch of oil, remove with slotted spoon and set aside
Fry the garlic until just golden in a touch of oil, remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
To put together the salad.
On a plate put the fermented green tea leaves in the middle
surround the leaves with cabbage
place the tomatoes, fried garlic, toasted sesame seeds, fried split peas and peanuts around the cabbage.
Mix together the dressing ingredients and pour over the tea leaves and cabbage.
Serve 1 plate per person, they will mix their own to their liking.

Nutrition