Wrapped…Open Face
My little sister introduced me to Thai cashew wraps at a little wrap shop called Roly-Poly last summer. They taste fresh and spicy, with the crunch of fresh cilantro and the kick of hot peanut sauce. But something about that flavor combination and a tortilla just doesn’t work for me. This sandwich is my attempt to imitate the flavor of the Roly-Poly sandwich, while improving the texture. Naan is a traditional bread served in India; like the chicken, it too is usually cooked in a clay oven.
For this bread, I used the recipe from The Joy of Cooking, but next time I make it, I will use yogurt as a thickening agent, as most traditional preparations do. I also will roll it flatter and rub with more butter and spices–mine is a little too flat and not crispy enough.
It worked well for these wraps, though, and if you’re in a hurry, any good store-bought flatbread would do. Here’s what I put on them:
Asian-style Wraps
Shredded chicken (I used the leftover Tandoori chicken from last night)
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup fresh ginger, minced
1 cucumber, small-dice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 t. sesame oil
1 T. rice wine vinegar
Peanut Sauce (recipe below)
Flatbread
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cabbage, ginger, cilantro, oil, and vinegar. Lay out one flatbread per person. Top with a handful of the cabbage mixture, then chicken. Drizzle with peanut sauce and roll up. Serve with extra cabbage-ginger salad.
Spicy Thai Peanut Sauce
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 bird chili
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. fish sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 lime, juice and zest
1 t. fresh ginger
1 t. orange zest
1 t. orange juice
In a food processor, process the garlic, chili, and ginger until finely minced. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. This recipe makes a lot, but the sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks. I’ll use some of it on my Pad Thai later in the week.