Singaporean Style Slaw (Lo Hei)
The Singaporean Style Slaw is Chef Susur Lee's adaptation of the traditional Lo Hei dish. This is my take on the slaw, using some of the more traditional Lo Hei ingredients.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
For the Pickled Red Onions:
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 red onion
For the Beet Umeboshi Dressing:
- 1 cup salted pickled plums , umeboshi plums, pitted*
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mirin
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon honey , plus more to adjust sweetness
- ½ tablespoon peeled fresh ginger , grated
- ⅓ cup unsweetened beet juice
For the Slaw:
- 2 green onions both white and green parts, thinly sliced
- 1 taro root peeled and thinly sliced into sticks
- 2 ounce rice vermicelli – broken into 3 inch pieces
- 1 ½ cup Beet Umeboshi dressing , see recipe above
- 1 large English cucumber , thinly sliced into sticks
- 1 large carrot , peeled and thinly sliced into sticks
- 1 cup daikon radish , peeled and thinly sliced into sticks
- 2 tablespoon fried shallots
- 1 pickled red onion , see recipe above
- 2 tablespoon sweet pickled ginger , thinly sliced
- 1 cup pomelo segments , peeled
- 2 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds
- 6 teaspoon crushed roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup broccoli sprouts , use any sprouts that you like
- 6-8 slices of salmon sashimi , optional
Instructions
To Make the Pickled Red Onions:
- Place a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add vinegar and water and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice red onion.
- When water is boiling, add salt, peppercorns, fennel seeds, bay leaf, and thyme, then continue boiling for another 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and add in the sliced onions. Stir to separate the pieces, and leave to soak for at least 1 hour, but preferably 3 hours.
To Make the Beet Umeboshi Dressing:
- In blender, combine pitted umeboshi plums, vinegar, mirin, oil, honey, ginger, and beet juice. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. You may want to add more honey if the dressing is too sour for you. Blend again, then set aside.
To Assemble the Singaporean Style Slaw:
- Place sliced green onion in an ice bath and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat large pot of vegetable or canola oil until the temperature reaches 375°F.
- Carefully deep fry handfuls of taro root at a time, for about 2 minutes or until crisp and lightly golden. Remove taro sticks from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Season lightly with salt.
- After frying all of the taro, quickly deep fry vermicelli noodles in batches for about 5 seconds, or until they curl or puff up. Remove fried noodles from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Season lightly with salt.
- Remove green onion from ice bath and drain. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside.
To Serve the Salad Family Style:
- Spoon some of the dressing on the bottom of a large serving bowl.
- Place a large handful of the crunchy noodles on top of the dressing, then arrange the sliced vegetables vertically around the noodles to create a cone shape (like a tipi).
- Sprinkle fried shallots over the vegetables, and around the edge of the bowl.
- Add the pickled ginger and pickled onions, sprinkling them over the vegetables.
- Add the pomelo segments and sprouts around the edge of the bowl.
- Sprinkle on both kinds of sesame seeds, and the roasted peanuts.
- Carefully place the salmon pieces around the edge of the plate, if using.
- Add the green onions and crispy taro sticks to garnish.
- Toss before serving, and serve with extra dressing.
Notes
Tip:
*If you are salt sensitive, you may not want to add the full cup of umeboshi plums to the dressing. Start with half the amount, and slowly add more to taste. The dressing should be salty and a bit sour, in order to add flavour to the raw vegetables.
Adapted from Chef Susur Lee's Singaporean Style Slaw with Salted Apricot recipe.
