Chicken Laphet Thoke

Lahpet Thoke is made from fresh fermented tea leaves mixed with a variety of crunchy shredded vegetables, toasted sesame seeds, fried garlic, toasted peanuts, toasted nuts, seeds, chilli, tomatoes and has a wonderful combination of fresh flavours. This salad represents a strong part of culinary culture in Burma and the most famous street dish.

This Chicken Laphet Thoke style salad uses a fermented green tea sauce as the base of its dressing, it is fresh & zingy. Pan fry chicken to mix through crunchy vegetables topped with all things crunchy to create a quick weeknight dinner.

Serves 4

Effort: Easy

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Gluten free

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken breast (about 3)

• 2 tbsp Mimi Laphet sauce

• 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

• 1/2 medium red cabbage, thinly shredded

• 1/2 medium wombok, thinly shredded

• 2 carrots, shaved or grated

• 4 medium tomato, deseeded & sliced

• 1 green chilli (optional)

• 4 tbsp unsalted peanuts

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

• 4 tbsp fried shallots

• 3 tbsp Pimp my Salad topper

• 2 large spring onions, sliced lengthways

• Lemon wedges to serve.

  Laphet Thoke Salad Dressing

• 3 tbsp Mimi Laphet Sauce

• 3 tbsp oil (peanut or canola)

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 2 tsp fish sauce

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp ginger (fresh or paste)

• A pinch of salt & sugar.

Instructions

1. Start by slicing the chicken breast into thin strips and tossing it through 1-2 tbsp of Mimi Laphet sauce (just enough to coat the chicken) & 1 tbsp sesame seeds.

2. Whisk all salad dressing ingredients together in a bowl, season with a pinch of salt & sugar each - add more to suit your taste.

3. In a large bowl mix together the shredded cabbage, wombok & shaved carrot then toss through the salad dressing.

4. Deseed and slice the tomato, leaving to one side.

5. In a small bowl mix together the peanuts, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, fried shallots & pimp my salad topper.

6. Heat a large fry pan with a little oil & fry the thinly sliced garlic cloves until golden in colour. Remove to a piece of kitchen roll. Add a little more oil to the pan and fry the chicken in batches until cooked through.

7. To make the salad, place the wombok mix evenly across a large platter, add the chicken on top & sprinkle the fried garlic pieces & tomato over the chicken. Before serving top with spring onion, chilli & crunchy peanut mix.

8. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.

Hints & tips

Chicken - Chicken thighs would work well with this dish. You could also substitute steak if you prefer (brush with Mimi Laphet Sauce and grill on the BBQ instead).

Cabbage - Using red cabbage adds colour. Wombok has a light crunchy texture. Both can be swapped for what cabbage you have on hand.

Apple cider vinegar - Apple cider vinegar can be substituted for white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Fried garlic - Fried garlic is a must. Seriously. Don’t skip it!

Fried shallots - These can be found in all supermarkets in the Asian section.

Serving suggestion - Great as a stand alone dinner or served with wraps. A perfect salad to take along to a BBQ.

Portion size - Serves 4 or 2 with leftovers. Leftovers are good for lunches during the week.

Storage - Will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Not suitable for freezing.