Lahpet Thoke with Homemade Crunchy Bean Mix

Method

1. Rinse the chana dal two or three times, then soak it in plenty of cold water for 4 h. It is ready when a fingernail just dents it; under-soaked dal fries rock-hard.

   Add in this stepchana dal (split chickpeas) 40 g

2. Drain the dal and spread it on a clean tea towel for at least 15 minutes until the surface is completely dry; water left on it makes hot oil spit violently. Meanwhile shred the cabbage finely (2–3 mm), soak 5 minutes in cold water and shake dry. Cut the tomato into thin wedges, the ginger into very fine matchsticks and the chilli into thin rings. Slice the garlic evenly, 1–2 mm thick.

   Add in this stepwhite cabbage 100 gtomato 1fresh ginger 10 ggreen bird's-eye chilli 1

3. Pour the oil into a completely dry, small deep 16 cm pot and heat over medium heat to 170 °C (a single dal grain should fizz at once). Lower the dal in gently from a ladle held close to the oil and fry for 4 min, stirring. When the bubbling calms, they are golden and rattle crisply against the ladle, lift them onto paper towel and sprinkle with half the salt. Keep the oil below one third of the pot's height and never leave it unattended; if it ever catches fire, cover with a lid and turn off the heat, never use water.

   Add in this steppeanut oil for frying 400 mlsalt to taste

   medium heat

4. Turn the heat down to medium-low heat and let the oil cool slightly to about 140 °C, then add the garlic and fry for 3 min, stirring constantly. Lift it out the moment it turns pale gold; it keeps darkening, so don't wait for brown. Turn off the heat, cool the oil, strain it through a fine sieve and reserve the amount needed for the dressing (the rest is great for stir-fries).

   Add in this stepgarlic cloves 4

   medium-low heat

5. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 min, shaking, adding the sesame for the last minute; tip onto a plate to cool. Rinse and pat dry the dried shrimp, then pound them in a mortar until fluffy and fine.

   Add in this stepraw skinless peanuts 30 gsesame seeds 2 tspdried shrimp 2 tbsp

   medium heat

6. Chop the lahpet roughly, put it in a bowl and mix with the reserved garlic oil, the fish sauce and the juice of half the lime. Crumble in a pinch of fried garlic and leave for 5 minutes to marry. It should be glossy, with clear salty, sour and bitter notes.

   Add in this steplahpet (store-bought fermented tea leaves, drained) 60 ggarlic frying oil (reserved in step 4) 3 tbspfish sauce 2 tsplime ½

7. Place the lahpet in the centre of a large plate and surround it with small heaps of cabbage, tomato, ginger, chilli, pounded shrimp, peanuts and sesame, fried dal and garlic chips. At the table squeeze over the remaining lime, toss everything together, taste, adjust with the rest of the salt and eat at once.

   Add in this steplime ½salt to taste