• 1 cupshredded green cabbage
• 0.5 tspshrimp paste
• 1 tspwater
• 2 tspfish sauce
• 3 cupscooked jasmine rice, about 1 cup uncooked
• 0.25 cupfried onions
• 3 tbspfried garlic chips
• 3 tbsptoasted sunflower seeds
• 3 tbsptoasted crushed peanuts
• 0.25 cupcoarsely chopped cilantro
• 1 piecelime, halved
• 1 to tastesalt
• 0.5 cuppacked whole fermented tea leaves, for the dressing
• 0.25 cupcanola oil, for the dressing
• 1 piecegarlic clove, coarsely chopped, for the dressing
• 0.25 tspdried chili flakes, for the dressing
• 1 tsplime or lemon juice, for the dressing

Method

1. 1Make the dressing: if the tea leaves are unseasoned, soak them in cold water for 5 minutes, drain, and squeeze out the excess water. Repeat if they remain extremely bitter. Process the leaves with the garlic and chili flakes. Add the citrus juice and half the oil, then drizzle in the remaining oil while processing. Season according to how salty the leaves are. This makes about 1/2 cup dressing; reserve 1/4 cup for the salad.
2. 2Place the cabbage at the base of a serving bowl. In a mixing bowl, loosen the shrimp paste with the water and fish sauce.
3. 3Briefly warm the rice if it is cold. Add it to the shrimp-paste mixture, then mix in 1/4 cup tea leaf dressing.
4. 4Gently fold in the fried onions, fried garlic, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and cilantro. Squeeze over the lime, mix well, and adjust with salt or fish sauce. Spoon over the cabbage and serve.