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San Choy Bow (Chicken Lettuce Wraps)

San choy bow is the dish that proves Chinese food doesn't have to be heavy. Sizzling savoury chicken mince, crunchy water chestnuts and a glossy sauce, all scooped up in cool, crisp lettuce cups — it's fresh, fun and completely moreish.

It's also one of the fastest Chinese dishes you can make at home. Everything cooks in one wok in under ten minutes, and the build-your-own element makes it a reliable hit with kids.

Serve it as a light dinner, a starter for a Chinese banquet at home, or a healthy lunch that doesn't feel like a compromise.

Servings
4
Prep Time
15
mins
Cook Time
10
mins
Ingredients
15
Total Time
25
mins

Pantry bits

  • Wok or large frypan
  • Wok spatula or wooden spoon
  • Sharp knife and chopping board
  • Large bowl of iced water
  • Kitchen scissors

Ingredients

  • 500g chicken mince
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely grated ginger
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and finely diced (or 100g fresh mushrooms)
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 225g can water chestnuts, drained and finely diced
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 iceberg lettuce, leaves separated into cups
  • Fried shallots, to serve

Instructions

  1. Trim the iceberg lettuce leaves into neat cups with scissors, then soak them in iced water while you cook so they stay crisp. Drain and pat dry before serving.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add the chicken mince and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up, until lightly browned.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger, mushrooms and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
  4. Add the water chestnuts, oyster sauce, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and sugar and toss for 1-2 minutes until the mixture is glossy and any liquid has cooked off.
  5. Remove from the heat and stir through the sesame oil and most of the spring onion.
  6. Pile the chicken mixture into a serving bowl and stack the lettuce cups alongside.
  7. Let everyone spoon the filling into their own lettuce cups, topping with fried shallots and the remaining spring onion.

Other recipes

Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew)
Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup)
Pho Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup)

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