I love living in Singapore because we’re so multicultural and we celebrate all races! I mean, growing up in Sydney means I have friends from different countries too but we don’t get Chinese New Year or Hari Raya as a public holiday hehe
SOOOO since we’re a few days away from the Lunar New Year, I made something special to celebrate our Chinese culture called the Low-Carb Chinese Styled Lettuce Wraps!!
BUT wait. A little twist. You probably haven’t heard of this dish. Unless you’ve travelled or lived in Australia or the States you won’t be able to find this in Singapore. Which is all the more special cause I’m about to share with you something I’m used to in Sydney!!!
In Sydney, this is everywhere in Chinese restaurants. We call it San Choy Bao and a little research into this dish (with varying opinions I have to say) tells me that it is written in Chinese as ???. Okay I cheated, I Googled this hehe so I need your help! Anyone of you know the origins of this dish? Is it really Asian or Chinese?
Whatever it is… it’s super tasty and it’s nutritious! It’s basically minced meat (I used chicken in this one) inside a piece of lettuce leaf and it’s commonly found in Chinese restaurants as an appetiser!
But you can have it as a meal in itself if you’re following a low carbohydrate diet or serve it as a snack while entertaining your guests this new year.
Try something new okay – your healthy tastebuds deserve it 🙂
Alrighty! Grab your recipe book, pen this down, get the ingredients, and get preppin’. Don’t forget to tell me how it is either on the comments section below, on YouTube, or on Instagram at @asianmealprep. Would love to see your creations!
3-Meal Prep: Low Carb Chinese Styled Lettuce Wraps
Makes – 3 meals
Time needed – 10 mins
Cost – ~S$4.50 per serve
Here’s what you need:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 600g lean minced chicken
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cm ginger, sliced
- 2-3 cili padis, sliced *optional
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 1 head butter lettuce
Here’s how you do it:
- Prepare all ingredients as above and have it ready before you begin.
- Heat a non-stick skillet on medium high and add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add minced chicken and cook till slightly brown or for about 3-5 mins.
- Toss in garlic, ginger, cili padis, onion, liquid aminos and vinegar and stir-fry for about 2 mins.
- Add in chestnuts and green onions and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Remove from heat.
- If storing for meal prep: let the chicken completely cool before adding into your containers. Line meal prep containers with several lettuce leaves and top it up with chicken mix, adding equal amounts into 3 containers.
- If serving immediately: add several tablespoons of chicken mix into center of a lettuce leaf and serve, like a taco!
How much this costs:
*Keep in mind that this numbers are a rough guide. It depends on where you buy it and when. You can definitely save more money if you purchase in wet markets etc. At the end of the day it’s possible to eat healthy without breaking the bank. Also, ~ denotes the items that should already be in your pantry for a long time or it’s a very small amount.
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil $0.20
- 600g lean minced chicken $6.00
- 2 cloves garlic, minced $0.20
- 2 cm ginger, sliced $0.20
- 2-3 cili padis, sliced *optional $0.20
- 1 red onion, diced $0.40
- 2 tbsp hoisin $0.70
- 2 tbsp liquid aminos $0.40
- 1 tbsp white vinegar $0.20
- 1 can whole water chestnuts, drained and diced $2.50
- 2 spring onions, sliced $0.40
- 1 head butter lettuce $2.00
Total price = ~S$13.40
Price per serve = ~ S$4.50
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information below is based on the ingredients I’ve used above excluding the lettuce as this may vary and it’s not very calorie dense. It may not be an accurate representation of the Low Carb Chinese Styled Lettuce Wraps you made.
This recipe yields approximately 3 serves.
Calories 278 Protein 38.1g Carbs 15.9g Fats 7.8g Saturated Fats 1.6g
