Passport & Plate - Noodle Salad tossed with pickled green tea leaves.
India | Monday, March 2, 2015 | 5 photos
Ingredients
Noodles - 1 bunch (I use Soba because they never seem to stick together)
Pickled green tea leaves - 3 tablespoons
Roasted peanuts - handful
Lemon juice - half a lemon
Crushed chilli flakes - 1 teaspoon
Eggs - 2
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
How to prepare this recipeBoil the noodles al dente, drain them and run cold water over them so they don't stick together.
Boil eggs, after they are cool chop them into pieces.
Take a big bowl and mix all the rest of the ingredients together.
Throw in the noodles and mix well.
Add chopped eggs and toss again.
If you are a meat eater, garnish the dish with shredded chicken / pork.
The story behind this recipeOn the first day of my month-long trip across Myanmar, I walked across the insanely crowded road in front of my airbnb accommodation to a tiny restaurant that had all of three tables. The slender, fine-boned woman that owned / managed the restaurant did not speak any English. Nor did the rest of her family. Their laminated one-page menu had the names of the dishes in Burmese, transliterated into English. Trying to figure out what was what I quickly realized it was a lost cause altogether.
If I were to eat anything at all, I would have to go with the 'chef's choice.' And I did. What arrived was Shan khauk swè - a simple hand-tossed noodle salad served with a side of pickled vegetables and a bowl of clear soup. The rice noodles were spiced with pickled sour mustard leaves (some of which I brought home from a local Burmese market) and mixed with peanuts, garlic, chilli and garnished with shredded chicken. I wash it down with a tall glass of avacado milk shake.
Soon enough, I ate the famous Burmese green tea salad - Lahpet. Pickled green tea leaves are tossed with cruncy nuts, tomato, garlic and seasoned with dried shrimp in this dish. I fell hook, line and sinker for it. Before I left Myanmar, I bought a bottle and packed it with my luggage. Sure it leaked and ruined my tee-shirt but the bottle survived the flight, I am happy to announce.
After I got home, I realized I could marry the simplicity of these two dishes (pickled green tea leaves and the noodle salad) and thus this recipe was born. My pickle ran out very soon but I made my own green tea pickle at home - thanks to the internet and its myriad blogs. This has now become a staple in my house and I make it whenever I am out of vegetables or other ingredients in my pantry for an elaborate meal.
