Dish of Acacia Leaf Omelet Squares
(click to enlarge)

Acacia Leaf Omelet


Thailand   -   Kai Jeaw Cha-om
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 2 side
**
20 min
Yes		 In Thailand and Burma, this omelet is very popular as a side dish and as an addition to hot & sour soups. Alas, Acacia Shoots are problematic (see below) so we suggest using a substitute.
Senegalia pannata (Cha Om) plants are highly illegal in Australia, New Zealand, California and Hawaii. Frozen packages of leaf shoots are legal, but may not be easy to find in North America, so we suggest Dandelion leaves as a substitute. Some may not appreciate the rubber cement smell and taste of real Cha Om anyway.




4
1

1/3
1/2
lrg
oz

t
T
Eggs
Cha-Om (1)  
  (or subst)
Salt
Oil

Prep

  -   (10 min)
  1. Strip tender CHA-OM FRONDS from the stems (if needed) and chop them medium. If you don't have Cha-Om, strip Dandelion Leaves from thick stems. I strip with a fingernail from the thick end to wherever they break off. Chop the leaves medium. 1-1/2 ounce is good. The photo example is with Cha-Om.
  2. With a fork beat EGGS, Leaves and Salt together well.

Run

  -   (10 min)
  1. Heat Oil in your omelet pan and pour in the egg mixture. You want to fry covered and on much lower heat than for a French omelet because it must set well all the way through. When it's golden on the bottom and set, flip it over and fry on the other side, uncovered, until just a little golden.
  2. Turn out onto your cutting board and cut into squares, strips or wedges as desired.
  3. If serving as an appetizer, cut into strips or wedges. If serving in soup, cut into small squares.
  4. Serve warm (preferable) or at room temperature, with a Southeast Asian dip. I find 1/3 Thai Fish Sauce and 2/3 Aged Rice Vinegar (Kon Yen brand) to be quite good with this.
NOTES:
  1. Acacia Leaves:   In North America these are available frozen from some Asian markets. If you can, get "Cha Om Without Stems" so you don't have to strip them. If you can't get Cha Om, use young dandelion leaves with the stems stripped out, about 1-1/2 ounces of leaf. Some have suggested using cilantro leaves but this is not a good substitute. Dandelions are sulfurous and bitter, like acacia, but milder. For details see our Acacia page and our Dandelion page.
  2. Comments:   I liked these omelets so much I adapted the recipe to other herbs as California Herbal Appetizer Omelet.
  3. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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