Lou sang/Yee sang means to 'toss the salad' and it's typically eaten during Lunar new year in Malaysia. It's usually tossed between family and friends as a way to bring good luck to the new year. While tossing, we will say what we want to wish for whether it be good health, good luck to everyone etc!
It's been said that Lou sang can involve up to 30 ingredients! They are usually salmon, lime, carrots, plum sauce, peanuts, sesame seeds, pomelo, crackers, radish and pickled ginger. What's unique is that each ingredient has its own meaning. For example, the lime represents good luck; the oil refers to wishing things to go smoothly; the peanuts and sesame seeds wishing your house to be filled with gold and jade; the carrots symbolising a mountain of treasure; the salmon wishing you that you can have more than enough etc!
In this recipe, the traditional ingredients haven't been entirely used as it hasn't been possible to find the exact ingredients in the area. I have made a twist to the traditional recipe and perhaps it can provide some benefits for some who don't have full access to the traditional ingredients for lou sang.
Grapefruit
Usually pomelo is used in the place of a grapefruit.
Since there was no access to pomelo, a grapefruit was used to imitate the pulps of a pomelo.
Purple cabbage
Besides using purple cabbage, you may also add shredded carrots and sweet potato (fried).
Shredded carrots represent mountains of treasure so why not add them if you're wishing for that?
Jellyfish
No Jellyfish? Substitute them with smoked salmon or just have both!
Crunch
Peanuts are quite traditional for Lou sang. If you have a peanut allergy, try using chopped cashews in place.
Substitute with other types of nuts if you have neither! For some extra crunch..
Another traditional ingredient
Usually, crackers such as deep fried wonton dough strips are used. You can replace this ingredient with crunchy nuts or pita chips.
Tossing sauce
If you have no access to plum sauce, substitute with plum, apricot or peach jam.
In this recipe, peach jam was used and it achieved the sweet side of the sauce! Give it a go.
Watch the video version by clicking the below:
Total time: 20 mins
This makes 6-7 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup daikon (thinly sliced)
1 cup purple cabbage (thinly sliced)
1 cup cucumber (thinly sliced)
1/4 red grapefruit
1 cup instant jellyfish
1/2 lime (sliced)
3 tbsp peanuts
3 tbsp cashews
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Sauce: 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup peach jam
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
Method:
With sectioning each ingredient, assemble ingredients on a plate.
Mix all sauce ingredients and pour all over ingredients on the plate. Toss the salad with family and friends then serve!
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