This easy recipe is not only a vegetarian version of laab, but also takes advantage of seasonal mushrooms and ramps in our area. Powdered lobster mushroom is used instead of fish sauce to make it completely vegetarian and to impart a seafood-nutty flavor.
If morels are unavailable, shitake, oyster, or maitake mushrooms would be a good substitute. King trumpet mushrooms are large and the entire stem can be eaten (unlike many other mushrooms); they can be found at most Asian grocery stores. Shallots or scallions (or both together) can be used in place of ramps.
Ingredients: [‘morel’, ‘trumpet mushrooms’, ‘mushroom’, ‘boiling water’, ‘salt’, ‘ramps’, ‘palm sugar’, ‘lime’, ‘chili pepper’]
Quantity of Ingredients: [“1 lb fresh morel, diced “,”1 -2 king trumpet mushrooms, finely diced “,”1 ounce dried lobster mushroom”,”2 tablespoons boiling water”,”1/2 teaspoon salt”,”2 -3 ramps, thinly sliced “,”2 -3 teaspoons palm sugar, grated “,”1 -2 lime”,”1 fresh thai chili pepper”]
Number of Servings: 4
Steps: [‘Grind dried lobster mushroom in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle until powdered. Pour the boiling water over the powdered lobster mushroom to reconstitute.’, ‘Bring a wok or large frying pan to a med-high heat. Add a little frying oil. Chop morels and trumpet mushrooms into 1/4″ or so pieces. Salt and saute the mushrooms for 4-5 minutes until the mushrooms are starting to brown and are soft.’, ‘Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of sliced ramps or shallots; add the reconstituted lobster mushroom; add the juice of 1 lime; add finely chopped thai chili; and grate about 1-teaspoon of palm sugar into the wok. Continue stirring over a medium heat until the mushrooms incorporate the flavors (2-3 minutes).’, “Don’t cook for so long that the juices cook off; add a tablespoon of water if they do. The balance between the sweetness of the palm sugar, sour of lime, and spice is a personal preference. At this point taste the dish and add salt, lime juice, chili, or sugar to your preference.”, ‘Add chopped cilantro and or mint leaves as desired and serve with sticky rice and lettuce pieces.’]