Recipe courtesy of Luke Nguyen
Beef Tossed with Wild Betel Leaf and Lemongrass: Bo Xao La Lot
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 4 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Calories
- 208
- Total Fat
- 13 grams
- Saturated Fat
- 3 grams
- Cholesterol
- 41 milligrams
- Sodium
- 731 milligrams
- Carbohydrates
- 6 grams
- Dietary Fiber
- 0.5 grams
- Protein
- 16 grams
- Sugar
- 4 grams
- Total: 15 min
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 5 min
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lemongrass stalk, dry outer shell peeled off, and white part only, finely diced*
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 chiles, finely diced, plus 1 chile, finely sliced for garnish
12 ounces lean beef sirloin, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
15 betel leaves, roughly sliced*
2 sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), for garnish
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
*Can be found at specialty Asian markets and online.
Directions
- In a smoking hot fry pan or wok, add the vegetable oil and lemongrass and cook until fragrant, then add the garlic and chiles.
- Now add the beef and stir fry for 2 minutes, then season with the fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Add the betel leaves and stir fry for a further minute.
- Transfer the mixture to a plate and garnish with sliced chile and coriander (cilantro).
- Serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Cook’s Note
When dicing the lemongrass, always use a nice heavy sharp knife. If you have a second knife, use the two simultaneously. Do not discard the tips of a lemon grass stalk, steep it in hot water and drink it as lemon grass tea.