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Collard-green leaves and savoy cabbage form the package in these spicy Thai wraps.
Spicy Thai Vegetable Wraps With Tamarind Dipping Sauce

The Chef
Matthew Kenney, Pure Food & Wine

Servings
Makes 12 wraps.

Ingredients
Tamarind Dipping Sauce
1 cup tamarind paste (available at Kalustyan’s)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch sea salt

Wraps
1⁄2 cup chopped cashews
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄4 cup maple syrup
1⁄2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 tablespoon chopped red chile with seeds
1 1⁄2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup raw almond butter
1⁄2 head savoy cabbage, shredded
6 very large collard-green leaves
1 large carrot, julienned
1 small ripe mango, cut lengthwise into batons
2 cups bean sprouts
1⁄2 cup cilantro leaves
1⁄2 cup torn basil leaves
1⁄4 cup mint leaves

Cooking Instructions
Tamarind Dipping Sauce
Place the tamarind paste, maple syrup, soy sauce, and olive oil in blender, and purée until smooth. Taste for seasoning. Pour into a bowl, and set aside. May be made ahead of time and refrigerated.

Wraps
Mix the cashews, sesame oil, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Purée the maple syrup, lemon juice, ginger, red chile, and soy sauce in a blender. Add the almond butter, and blend at low speed to combine. Add water to thin if necessary.

Put the shredded cabbage in a bowl, and pour the almond-butter mixture over it. Toss well to combine.

Cut out the center rib of each collard-green leaf, dividing the leaf in half. Place 1 half-leaf on a cutting board with underside face up. Arrange a few tablespoons of the cabbage mixture evenly across the bottom third of the leaf, leaving about 1 1⁄2 inches clear at the bottom. Sprinkle some of the chopped cashews over the cabbage. Lay a few sticks of carrot, a baton of mango, and a few bean sprouts on top. Add a few leaves each of cilantro, basil, and mint. Fold the bottom of the leaf up and over the filling, keeping it tight, and tuck the leaf under the ingredients and roll forward. Place the roll seam-side down on a serving dish. Repeat with remaining collard leaves and ingredients.

Serve with the tamarind dipping sauce.

Photograph by Christopher Baker.