Cold Lettuce Rolls

Hot hazy weather? Fret not. Let's have some cold rolls :) 

These light and cooling lettuce rolls are perfect for hot days like today.  There really isn't much preparation to it, and it makes a nice refreshing and light meal if you want something easy on the system.  Wash it down with some ice cold lemon grass drink, and your digestive tract will thank you :)

The bonus is, because it involves a bit of 'playing' ie assembling the ingredients and making your own rolls, my little guy loves it, and chomped down several on his own.  A good way to get the kids to eat their greens - raw! 

Cold Lettuce Rolls

  

• 600g mince pork (for Muslim readers, you can substitute this with minced chicken or beef, it works just as well)
• 1/3 carrot, julienned 
• 1/3 cucumber, julienned
• 1/2 green capsicum, julienned (optional)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Lettuce cups or large pieces of lettuce leaves (prepare many, these rolls are quite addictive!)
• 2 fat pips of  garlic, chopped
• 4 tbspn soy sauce
• 4 tbspn sugar
• 1/2 tbspn dark soy sauce
• Generous dash of white pepper powder
• 1 tspn cornflour, mix with a little bit of water into a paste (optional)
• 2 tspn oil
• 2 tspn sesame oil

1.  Heat some oil in a wok and pour half the beaten egg mixture in to make a thin omelet.  When cooked, remove and repeat to make the 2nd omelet.  Remove and cut both omelet into thin strips.

2. Heat the oil and sesame oil and fry the garlic until fragrant and golden.  Add in the minced meat and fry on high heat until cooked.  Make sure the minced meat pieces are loose and not stucked together into small patties.  

3. Add in the seasonings, and stir until boiling.  If the meat mixture is quite wet, add the cornflour paste and keep stirring until the mixture thickens and turns a darker colour.  The taste would also intensify.  Turn off the fire and dish up. 

From top clockwise:  The ready ingredients;  Frying the minced meat; Thin omelet

The minced meat should take on a dark glistening sheen,
and taste very sweet and savoury.  

4.  To assemble the rolls, place several strips of cucumber, capsicum, carrot and omelet onto a lettuce cup or leaf.  Top with some minced meat and roll up to form a spring roll. Pop into your mouth and enjoy!

Tip:  this is best eaten cold.  Once the vegetables have been cut into strips, keep them nicely chilled in the fridge together with the lettuce cups.  Serve them only when the minced meat is cooked and has cooled down.  It is really refreshing as you bite into the rolls and the sweet and savoury juices of the meat is mixed with the chill and crunchiness of the vegetables.