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Jeow het
Jeow het (ແຈ່ວເຫັດ): grilled mushrooms pounded with chilli and garlic
Monsoon jeow, this one: once the rains bring mushrooms to every Lao market from July onwards, cooks grill a basket of them over charcoal and pound them with roasted chilli and garlic for a meaty, smoky dip that disappears with sticky rice at dinner. The texture is shaggy rather than smooth, juicy shreds of mushroom held together by a hot, garlicky paste, with fresh herbs stirred through at the end. It is just as good with steamed greens, cucumber and long beans, or spooned over grilled tofu. Oyster and king oyster mushrooms are the closest match to the wild ones. Many people blitz or pound it to a paste and lose the chew, and that's the thing to avoid. Chef's tip: tear the grilled mushrooms into strips by hand before they go into the mortar, then pound only to bruise them.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
To grill
- 10 ½ oz oyster or king oyster mushrooms
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 5 fresh red bird's eye chilliesuse fewer for a milder dip
- 4 garlic clovesunpeeled
- 2 shallotsunpeeled
To season
To finish
- 2 spring onionschopped
- 1 small handful fresh corianderchopped
- 1 small handful mint leaves (optional)
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What you'll need
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 10 ½ oz oyster or king oyster mushrooms with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Grill them on a hot griddle pan, barbecue or under a hot grill for 8–10 minutes, turning, until browned at the edges and shrunk by about a third.
10 minStep 2: At the same time, dry-roast 5 fresh red bird's eye chillies, 4 garlic cloves and 2 shallots in a dry pan over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes, until soft and blistered in spots.
6 minStep 4: Tear the mushrooms into thin strips by hand and add to the mortar. Pound lightly for about a minute, just to bruise and combine; the strips should still be visible.
Step 5: Loosen with 2 tsp tamari and 2 tbsp warm water so it's juicy and scoopable, then taste and adjust the salt.
Step 6: Stir in 2 spring onions, 1 small handful fresh coriander and 1 small handful mint leaves and serve straight away with sticky rice and raw vegetables.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 45 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jeow het take?
- About 25 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of oyster or king oyster mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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