FODMAP — Modify
Use garlic-infused oil instead of garlic, omit onion or replace with the green tops of scallions only.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1¼ tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water, separated
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (or Mirin or dry sherry)
- 1 tsp white sugar (optional)
Filling
- 1 tbsp peanut oil
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp ginger, minced
- 300 g / 10 oz pork mince (ground pork)
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, finely chopped
- 100 g / 3.5 oz canned water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
- 5 baby corn (canned or fresh), finely chopped
- 5 mushrooms, finely chopped (shiitake is best)
To serve
- 8 large or 16–20 small lettuce leaves (soft varieties preferred)
- Crushed peanuts
- Finely sliced scallions / shallots
Method
Sauce
- Mix cornflour with 1 tbsp water until lump-free. Add remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine.
Filling
- Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir briefly, then add onion. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add pork mince. Cook, breaking it up, until it turns white.
- Add all vegetables. Cook for 2 minutes until carrot is softened and pork is cooked through.
- Pour in the sauce and cook for 1½ minutes, or until thickened and glossy, coating the filling.
Serve
Transfer filling into a serving bowl. Lay out lettuce leaves, peanuts, and scallions alongside. To eat, spoon filling into a lettuce leaf, top with peanuts and scallions, and bundle into a roll.
Lettuce choice
Soft leaves like Butter Lettuce or Bibb Lettuce roll without cracking. Iceberg is traditional but tends to split and let the juices escape.
Variations
- Protein: Chicken works well; pork is traditional. For vegetarian, swap meat for 2½ cups of chopped vegetables or firm tofu.
- Sauce substitution: Replace Chinese cooking wine and the water with low-sodium chicken stock for a non-alcoholic version.
- Water chestnuts are key for their unique crunch — find them in the Asian or canned vegetable aisle at major supermarkets.
Pairs with
- Velveting — Tenderising Beef or Chicken for Stir-Fry — technique to use if you swap the ground pork for sliced chicken or beef