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4.9 from 21 votes

Leaf-Wrapped Salad Bites (Miang Kham)

Miang Kham, or betel leaf-wrapped salad bites, one of my favorite Thai recipes.

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 420 kcal
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon meaty dried shrimp
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 1 talk lemongrass
  • ½ cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes plus 2 tablespoons
  • 1 shallot about 1 oz. (28 g), peeled and sliced thinly against the grain
  • 2 galangal 1/4-inch (5mm) slices, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons ginger coarsely chopped peeled
  • 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
  • ½ cup grated palm sugar packed, plus 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar or substitute 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts finely chopped
Salad
  • 1 lime
  • 3- inches (7cm) fresh ginger peeled and cut into ¼-inch (5mm) dice
  • 2 shallots about 1 oz. (28 g) each, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (5mm) dice
  • ½ cup roasted peanuts
  • 5-6 fresh bird’s-eye chilies sliced crosswise ¼ inch (5mm) thick
  • 1/3 cup meaty dried shrimp
  • 20 to 30 cha-plu leaves or 3-inches (7cm) squares of collard green or Chinese broccoli leaves

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. To make the sauce, soak the dried shrimp in hot water for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, trim and discard the leafy parts of the lemongrass stalk, remove the tough outer leaves from the bulb until the smooth, pale green core is exposed, and trim off the root end.
  2. Starting from the root end, cut the bulb crosswise into paper-thin slices, stopping when you reach the point where the purple rings disappear. Set the slices aside and discard the remainder.
  3. Place the dried coconut flakes in a wok or a 14-inch (35 cm) skillet and toast them over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are medium brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the toasted coconut flakes for the sauce and set the remainder aside for the salad. Wipe out any toasted coconut residue from the wok.
  4. Add the lemongrass slices, shallot, galangal, and ginger to the clean wok. Toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the shallot slices feel dry to the touch, about 5 minutes. Transfer the toasted mixture, drained dried shrimp, and shrimp paste to a mortar or mini chopper, and grind to a smooth paste.
  5. Place the prepared paste, sugars, fish sauce, and water in a 1-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Once the sauce has thickened and reduced to about 1 cup, after 2 to 3 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat and let the sauce cool completely. When the dressing has cooled, stir in the chopped peanuts and the reserved 2 tablespoons of toasted coconut flakes, then transfer it to a small serving bowl.
  6. To prepare the salad, quarter the lime lengthwise and trim away the core. Cut the quarters into 1/4-inch (5 mm) dice, leaving the rind intact. Alternatively, for those sensitive to the bitterness of the lime rind, cut the lime into wedges and allow diners to squeeze about 1/2 teaspoon of lime juice onto each composed salad bite.
  7. Arrange the lime, ginger, shallots, peanuts, chiles, dried shrimp, cha phlu leaves, and dressing on a large serving platter.
  8. To eat, place a leaf in your palm, add a bit of each component to the center of the leaf, top with a small spoonful of dressing, gather the corners of the leaf to form a bag, and eat the whole thing in one bite.

Notes

  • If the diced ginger tastes too spicy hot, rinse it in cold water three or four times until the water runs clear and blot it dry.

Nutrition Information

Serving 4people Calories 420kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 38g (13%) Protein 29g (58%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 4g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 310mg (103%) Sodium 1459mg (61%) Potassium 393mg (11%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 16g (32%) Vitamin A 54IU (1%) Vitamin C 16mg (18%) Calcium 166mg (17%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 420

% Daily Value*

Serving 4people
Calories 420kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 38g 13%
Protein 29g 58%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g 24%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 310mg 103%
Sodium 1459mg 61%
Potassium 393mg 8%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 16g 32%
Vitamin A 54IU 1%
Vitamin C 16mg 18%
Calcium 166mg 17%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.