Low Calorie Thai Lettuce Wraps
photo by fluffernutter
- Ready In:
- 25mins
- Ingredients:
- 19
- Yields:
-
6-8 wraps
ingredients
- fresh iceberg lettuce (about one head, this type works best for this recipe)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 piece galangal, grated (or ginger)
- 1 red chile, de-seeded and finely sliced (omit altogether if you prefer very mild wraps)
- 2 shallots, sliced finely
- 1⁄2 cup firm tofu, cut into matchsticks (OR 1/2 cup cooked chicken or pork, shredded, OR 1/2 cup cooked baby shrimp)
- 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
- 4 -5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 egg (optional)
- 1⁄2 cup shredded cabbage (red is very good, but any type will work)
- 3 spring onions, sliced lengthwise into matchstick-like pieces
- 2 cups brean mixed sprouts
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian oyster sauce)
-
TOPPING
- 1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large
- 1⁄2 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
-
OTHER
- 2 tablespoons oil, for stir-frying
directions
- Place oil in a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, galangal (or ginger), chilli, and shallots. Stir-fry one minute, or until fragrant. Stir-frying tip: add a tablespoons water whenever the wok/pan gets too dry instead of more oil.
- Add tofu (or meat/shrimp), carrot, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and spring onions.
- As you stir-fry, add the lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir-fry about 1 minute.
- Push ingredients to the side of the wok or pan, and crack in the egg. Stir-fry the egg quickly, breaking the yolk. Mix in with the other ingredients.
- Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry briefly (to mix). Remove from heat and do a taste test for salt, adding 1 Tbsp more fish sauce if not salty enough.
- Cut off the stem part of the iceburg lettuce so it's easier to separate the leaves. Now place the lettuce, the sir-fried filling, and the toppings on your table, allowing family or guests to make their own wraps.
- To assemble wraps, take a whole lettuce leaf and place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of filling in the center. Top with a sprinkling of fresh basil and peanuts. Then wrap it up and eat. (For those who like it extra spicy, Thai chilli sauce can be added as another topping.).
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Reviews
-
Great recipe. I omitted the mushrooms and doubled the chicken, using ground chicken, as I was wanting something very close to the popular dish Larb. The only complaint at the table was that it might have been a tad bit too salty, so next time I'll gradually add the soy sauce vice just tossing in the entire 2 TBSP, as well as gradually add the Oyster Sauce, as that adds quite a bit of flavor/saltiness as well. Overall, we were very happy and will make again.
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This was really unique and really fun to eat. The iceberg lettuce made it really refreshing and cool. The only thing I didn't like was the strong fishy taste. I think it was because I used shrimp, and the shrimp AND the fish sauce AND the oyster sauce was just a little much for me. I'll try it with tofu or pork next time! I loved the tastes of the lime and basil and peanut. It was great.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
I got married to my high school sweetheart in August 06 at the ripe old age of 21, and my husband Luke and I just moved to Birmingham, AL from Auburn. He's in his second year of dental school at UAB. I have a BFA in Graphic Design, and I'm a designer at Time Inc and doing freelance design work on the side. I'm planning to go to grad school for a Master's of Fine Arts in Book Arts some time or another. I had deferred because I think the timing will be better once Luke gets out of school and perhaps I might not need to commute the hour over there.
Getting married and getting HALF of a refrigerator instead of sharing one with seven other girls really ignited a cooking fire in me!
Lately I've been trying to cut out the sugar, which is hard, because Luke likes sugary pancakes and cereal, and because I like baking things. I need to quit baking! Trying to lose the newlywed nine so I can fit into my winter clothes.