These Chinese lettuce wraps are full of flavour, healthy and super easy to prepare! Crisp lettuce leaves served with a tasty vegetable and tofu stir-fried filling, they can be a fun family meal at home or garnished beautifully and served as a starter for a dinner party or Chinese New Year celebration.
1tablespooncornstarch, (mixed with 2 teaspoon water)
4tablespoonwater
1tablespoontamari
1tablespoonhoisin sauce
2teaspoonrice wine vinegar
1teaspoonbrown rice syrup
1teaspoontoasted sesame oil
Stir-fry
1block extra-firm tofu, (or firm tofu, pressed)
2tablespoongrapeseed oil (or other flavourless oil)
2garlic cloves, minced
1cmpiece ginger, grated
2spring onions, thinly sliced
30gshiitake mushrooms, chopped small
1carrot (100g), grated
80gbaby corn, thinly sliced
60gwater chestnuts, drained and chopped small
60gsugar snap peas, thinly sliced
30gcelery, chopped small
To serve
iceberg or little gem lettuce, separated
spring onions, thinly sliced
sesame seeds
Instructions
First make the sauce. In a small jug or cup, mix the cornstarch with 2 teaspoon of water to make a thin liquid. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and stir well. Set aside.
Next, prep the tofu and vegetables (they don't have to be neat):- chop the tofu into very small pieces;- mince the garlic cloves and grate the ginger with a microplane;- peel and coarsely grate the carrot with a box grater;- thinly slice the spring onions, baby corn and sugar snap peas;- chop the shiitake mushrooms, water chestnuts and celery into small pieces.
Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan. When the oil is hot, add the garlic, ginger, spring onion and mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute.
2 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or other flavourless oil), 2 garlic cloves, 1 cm piece ginger, 2 spring onions, 30 g shiitake mushrooms
Add the carrot, celery and baby corn and stir fry for 2 minutes.
1 carrot (100g), 30 g celery, 80 g baby corn
Add the tofu, water chestnuts and sugar snap peas. Stir fry for another 2 minutes.
1 block extra-firm tofu, 60 g water chestnuts, 60 g sugar snap peas
Stir the sauce ingredients together again to go back to being a thin liquid, then add to the pan with the vegetables and tofu. Stir well and let it bubble for 2 minutes while stirring. You will see it thicken up as you stir. (Do not stop stirring or you will get lumps of cornstarch)
Taste the mixture and adjust the flavour to your taste by adding more tamari, hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, or brown rice syrup as necessary. If the mixture is too dry, add more water. If it is too wet, then add a touch more cornstarch mixed with a little water and simmer on a low heat for a couple more minutes to cook off the flour.
Serve spooned into lettuce leaves and garnish with sliced spring onions and sesame seeds.
iceberg or little gem lettuce, spring onions, sesame seeds
Notes
See the blogpost for tips on how to get the lettuce leaves really crisp.
Substitute the tofu for plant-based mince if you prefer.
Press the tofu if it is not extra-firm. (See the blogpost for full instructions on how to press tofu).