These Thai green curry lettuce cups are quick, easy and healthy. A crowd-pleasing appetizer or weeknight dinner idea.
Small effort, big flavor.
These Thai green curry lettuce cups are the antithesis of the lettuce sandwich, which has become a cultural metaphor for something that is unappealing, mundane, impoverished. The pauper of sandwiches.
Out here on planet California, many substitute bread and buns with hearty, low-carb, leafy lettuce in the spirit of being ‘health conscious’. Go to any In-N-Out Burger, and order a Double Double “protein style”. You will receive your super-tasty ‘double meat, double cheese’ burger sandwiched between two hunks of iceberg lettuce instead of the standard-issue fluffy bun. Technically, that makes it healthier, but let’s not lie to ourselves too much. You’re still eating a ‘double meat, double cheese’ hamburger. But it really is delicious and worth the justification.
The title says Thai Green Curry Lettuce Cups, but this recipe is not authentic or traditional Thai. We love the flavors in Thai green curry paste, used in this dish.
The quick-pickled vegetables on top are reminiscent of those found on a Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich.
The handheld delivery mechanism is akin to the Korean ssam, which translates as “wrapped”. Ssam is a leafy vegetable stuffed with seasoned pork and other fillings, topped with condiments, and folded together to prevent the ingredients from spilling out while eating.
The Americanized variation is the “lettuce cup”, a popular Asian-inspired appetizer found on many restaurant menus here in the States.
This recipe is as simple as quick pickling thinly sliced vegetables, while frying up ground pork (or chicken or turkey), seasoned with Thai green curry paste (lemongrass paste works well, too). Tuck the meat mixture into leaves of hearty lettuce, top with the pickled veggies, fold, and devour. The vinegar in the vegetables mingles with the curried protein. The lettuce wrapper literally brings everything together in a fresh and bright-tasting treat.
Thai Green Curry Lettuce Cups
Equipment
- Mandolin (optional)
- Large skillet
Mise en place
- 1 ea. carrot cut into matchsticks
- 1 ea. jalapeno, deseeded sliced into thin rings or matchsticks
- 2 ea. radish sliced very thin
- 1/4 ea. cucumber sliced very thin
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp water
- 2 tsp fish sauce divided
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coconut or avocado oil
- 1 lb. ground pork, turkey or chicken
- 1/2 c red onion small dice
- 1 tbsp Thai green curry paste
- 8 ea. green lettuce leaves romaine, green leaf, butter lettuce, washed and dried
- 1 ea. green onion sliced thin on the diagonal, for garnish
- 1 tbsp mint chopped, for garnish
- 1 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped, for garnish
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds for garnish
Method
Marinate the vegetables
- Slice the vegetables thin using a mandolin or very sharp knife. Place the carrots, jalapeno, radishes, cucumbers into a bowl large enough to hold everything.
- Combine rice wine vinegar, water, 1t of the fish sauce, salt and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Whisk until sugar and salt are completely dissolved, then pour the mixture over the vegetables. Stir to combine and coat the vegetables thoroughly, then cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Cook the protein
- Heat oil in large skillet, season the protein thoroughly with salt, and fry until almost cooked all the way, about 5 minutes. Add the diced red onions to the skillet and stir once more to combine.
- Mix together the remaining 1t of fish sauce with the green curry paste and 1 T of water, and pour into the skillet.
- Stir until everything is fully coated and the sauce is reduced by half.
Serve
- Place two lettuce cups on each person's plate, spoon on some of the Thai curry mixture and top with the marinaded vegetables.
- Garnish with slivered green onions, roughly chopped mint and cilantro and a sprinkling of sesame seeds on top.
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