Burmese Tea Leaf Salad
Here’s a salad that you won’t get sick of and you can totally meal prep for your work week. I tried Burma Superstar’s tea leaf salad and decided to recreate it at home. Please note that this is not how traditional Burmese tea leaf salad is made. I rendered the recipes to my liking and you are welcome to tweak it or add any toppings you’d like.
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing:
¼ cup of loose green sencha tea
½ cup of vinegar
½ cup of water
⅛ cup of sesame oil
¼ cup of avocado oil
1 tbsp of fish sauce (or Ocean Halo’s fish sauce if you’re vegan)
1 tbsp of maggi seasoning or soy sauce
½ juice of a lime or lemon
1 clove of garlic
A small piece of peeled ginger (½ inch)
For the salad:
½ cup grain of choice (I use white rice)
Spinach of lettuce or both
¼ cup of air-fried chickpeas
1/4 tomato, diced
1/2 cucumber diced (optional)
⅛ cup of sesame seeds
⅛ cup of roasted peanuts
⅛ cup of sunflower seeds
Fried garlic as desired
slices of lemon for additional garnish (optional)
Optional: a fried egg, pickled onions, or avocado
INSTRUCTIONS
Pick out any twigs from your tea leaves before cooking. They should be brown and have a tough texture.
Next, we’re boiling one part vinegar, one part water then adding your tea into the mixture. Your house will be filled with a strong tangy smell so I suggest opening a window.
Let this sit for 10 minutes before rinsing and covering in cold water for an hour.
After an hour, drain the water and squeeze out any remaining liquid.
In a blender we’re adding sesame oil, avocado oil, maggi seasoning, fish sauce (you can use Ocean Halo’s brand if you’re vegan), ginger, garlic, and lime juice. Blend until smooth.
To assemble the salad, I like to add rice at the bottom for heartiness and carbs, your favorite greens (I suggest spinach or lettuce or both like this), air-fried chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and fried garlic. Add your magic dressing and enjoy.