River Cottage

Top veggie chef David Bailey takes betel leaves and packs them with a fruity nutty filling and Thai-style sauce

Serves 4

• Several betel leaves (chicory or baby gem will do if no betel leaves are available)

For the miang sauce

• 2 lime leaves
• 1 stick lemongrass
• 1 chilli, chopped
• 2 Thai shallots, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 knob galangal, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp nama shoyu
• 6 discs palm sugar
• 2 handfuls toasted, shredded coconut

For the filling

• 2 spring onion, cut into julienne
• 2 Thai shallots, sliced
• Handful of fried crispy Thai shallots
• Handful of crushed roasted peanuts
• 1 pomelo, segmented
• Seeds from 1 pomegranate
• ½ bunch coriander, chopped
• ½ bunch mint, chopped
• Pinch of salt
• Handful toasted shredded coconut
• ½ chilli, chopped
• Zest of 1 lime, plus a squeeze of juice

1. For the sauce, crush all the dry ingredients except the sugar using a pestle and mortar. In a pan, melt the palm sugar with 200ml of water. Add all the crushed ingredients and simmer for 25 minutes. Cool, and then add 2 handfuls of toasted shredded coconut.

2. For the filling, mix everything together except the lime juice in a big bowl. Mix in about 3 tbsp of the miang sauce and add the lime juice to taste.

3. Place a little of the mixture into each betel leaf and fold. Serve with the sauce.