Lemongrass beef in betel leaves

This punchy dish is the perfect launchpad for any Asian-skewed dinner or makes a tasty, light standalone meal.

Lemongrass beef in betel leaves Credit: One World Kitchen

• serves

  4

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

This punchy dish is the perfect launchpad for any Asian-skewed dinner or makes a tasty, light standalone meal. You can find betal leaves at selected Thai and Vietnamese grocers. 

Ingredients

• 250 g minced beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp finely chopped lemongrass, stalks only
• 1 ½ tbsp chopped, roasted peanuts
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 20 betel leaves (or grape/shiso leaves), separated from stems
• Bamboo skewers
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• Nuoc cham dipping sauce (see note)

Marinating time: a few hours

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine beef, garlic, spring onions, lemongrass, peanuts, turmeric, sugar, fish sauce and salt. Put in fridge for a few hours.
 
2. Place a betel leaf on a flat surface, shiny side down. Cut the leaves in half. Spoon some mixture near the bottom of the each half of the betel leaf. Shape the meat mixture in each half of the leaf into a sausage-like cylinder. Roll each half of the leaf around the meat, starting at the bottom edge, folding in the sides, and then rolling to the top. Place each filled leaf with the seam side down so that they do not unroll. Repeat until all the meat mixture is gone.
 
3. Depending on the size of your skewers, place a number of rolls on a skewer, packed together tightly. Brush both sides of rolls on skewers with vegetable oil.
 
4. Using a chargrill pan, cook skewers on medium heat for 6-7 minutes.
 
5. Place skewers on plate and serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce (see note).

Note: 

● Combine 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar in a small heatproof bowl. Pour ½ cup hot water over top and stir until sugar has dissolved. Let cool. Meanwhile, add 1 minced garlic clove and 1 chopped Thai chilli to a bowl or mortar. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice and use a pestle or fork to mash together. Add garlic mixture to fish sauce mixture and stir well to combine.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

This punchy dish is the perfect launchpad for any Asian-skewed dinner or makes a tasty, light standalone meal. You can find betal leaves at selected Thai and Vietnamese grocers.