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Dongbei da la pi
Mung bean sheet salad
Dōngběi dà lāpí (东北大拉皮): wide mung-bean sheets tossed with crisp vegetables in garlic-sesame sauce
In north-east China, a big platter of this arrives at almost every family dinner and restaurant table, often next to the stews and dumplings. Wide, glassy sheets of mung-bean starch sit on a bed of shredded cucumber, carrot and cabbage, with a sesame, garlic and vinegar sauce and a dab of mustard poured over at the table. It's cool, slippery and crunchy. Look for dried la pi sheets or wide mung-bean noodles in Chinese supermarkets. Chef's tip: the sheet noodles must be fully cold before mixing, or they go soft and sticky.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 cucumbercut into matchsticks
- 1 carrotcut into matchsticks
- 3 ½ oz red cabbagefinely shredded
- ¼ oz dried wood ear mushrooms (optional)soaked 20 minutes, sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh coriandercut into 3 cm lengths
For the sauce
- 4 tbsp cold water
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp chilli oil
- ¼ tsp salt
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Break 3 ½ oz dried mung bean sheets (la pi) or wide mung bean noodles into palm-sized pieces and cook in boiling water for 4–6 minutes, until clear and soft but still springy.
6 minStep 2: Drain and plunge into iced water for 2 minutes, then drain well. Common mistake: dressing them warm; the starch turns gummy.
Step 3: Stir 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini with 4 tbsp cold water a tablespoon at a time until smooth and pourable. Stir in 4 cloves garlic, 1 ½ tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp Chinese or English mustard, 1 tbsp chilli oil and ¼ tsp salt.
Step 4: Arrange 1 cucumber, 1 carrot, 3 ½ oz red cabbage and ¼ oz dried wood ear mushrooms on a platter in a ring, with the sheet noodles piled in the middle and 1 small bunch fresh coriander on top.
Step 5: Pour the sauce over at the table and toss everything together just before eating.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dongbei da la pi take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of cucumber?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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Perfect for:Summer coolers