Pickled Tea Leaves
လက်ဖက်နှပ်
Laphet — Burmese pickled tea leaves, seasoned with garlic, lime and chilli, then packed under oil. Keeps 1–2 months in the fridge.
Ingredients
- Raw tea leaves — 300g
- Salt — 1 tsp
- MSG — 1 tsp
- Garlic — 6 cloves, sliced
- Lime — 1 pc
- Chilli (optional)
- Oil — for finishing and preserving
Method
- Wash the tea leaves in cold water and repeat until the water runs clear.
- Add boiling water and let them soak for about 45 minutes to draw out the bitterness and soften them.
- Squeeze the water out of the leaves. Get out as much as you can — the drier they are, the longer they keep.
- Chop them up or grind them to whatever size you prefer.
- In a large bowl, season with salt, MSG, garlic, chilli and lime juice, and mix well.
- Add oil for that shine and toss again.
- To preserve, pack into an airtight container and press the leaves down so no air is trapped inside.
- Pour more oil over the top until the leaves are submerged, then keep in the fridge.
- They’ll usually last 1–2 months. Check occasionally for mould growing inside the container.
