Lahpet Yay with Madagascar Rice Milk and Lychnose

Split the Madagascar vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape seeds into a small saucepan. Add the split pod, soaked basmati rice (drained), and filtered water. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes without boiling. Remove from heat, discard the vanilla pod, then transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz on high for 2 minutes until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, pressing to extract all liquids. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until well chilled.

If using preserved lahpet from a jar, rinse briefly under cold water in a mesh strainer, then pat dry with paper towel. Gently rub the leaves between your palms to separate them. Set aside in a bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the conditioned tea leaves, shredded cabbage, half of the crushed peanuts, and half of the toasted sesame seeds. Drizzle with lime juice and a pinch of salt. Toss gently to coat, then taste and adjust salt if needed.

Divide the tea leaf mixture among four shallow bowls. Top each with remaining crushed peanuts, remaining sesame seeds, crispy broad beans, and optional cherry tomatoes. The salad should appear layered: a deeply green base, punctuated with bright reds, creamy beige, and ebony specks of sesame.

Lightly whisk the chilled Madagascar rice milk. Drizzle a generous 3 tablespoons over each salad. Sprinkle a scant 1 teaspoon of lychnose crystals across the surface — they catch the light like morning frost. Serve immediately, with fresh lime wedges on the side if you like extra acidity.