Thai
It is pomelo season here in Thailand and there is nothing more arrestingly beautiful than coming upon a pomelo tree fully laden with fruit that look like giant yellow Christmas balls shimmering n the sun. It is an astonishing sight to behold!
Pomelo (citus maxima) is native to South East Asia but found in the tropics around the world. It looks like a large grapefruit that is mildly sweet rather than bitter and the main ingredient for a Thai pomelo salad with shallots, garlic, chilies, shrimp, coriander, toasted coconut, and peanuts tossed with a pungent sweet sour and spicy coconut milk dressing. Sound enticing? Believe me, it is. To me, this is Thai food at its very best. I prefer the more traditional flavor of dried shrimp for the recipe, but feel free to use freshly poached shrimp if you prefer.
Serve as a main course for lunch or as a starter for an evening meal. This is a spectacular salad that tames the summer heat in the most unexpected ways. Pomelos can be found in Asian markets, but if not available you can substitute grapefruit in the recipe that follows.
Pomelo salad must be served absolutely fresh so there are components that should be prepared ahead and on standby for assembling the salad.
Thai Pomelo Salad serves 4
Dressing:
- 1 cup coconut cream (thick coconut milk)
- 4 teaspoons palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 4 teaspoons roasted red chile paste (Note: see recipe below)
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
Pour the coconut cream into a non-reactive sauce pan. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce, and red chile paste to the pan and set over low heat. Stir as the contents heat up to dissolve the palm sugar and chile paste. Once the contents of the pan come to a to a slow simmer, add the lime juice and kaffir lime leaves. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.
Note: roasted red chile paste. Prepared red chile pastes can be found in Asian markets. If they are not available you can easily make your own.
Roasted Red Chile Paste:
- 2 tablespoons cold pressed peanut or coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons finely grated garlic
- 3 tablespoons finely grated shallots
- 3 tablespoons finely minced seeded red chilies
- 1 tablespoon shrimp paste
- 2 teaspoons palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
Heat the oil in a skillet set over medium low flame. When the oil is hot add the garlic, shallots, and red chilies and fry until very soft without browning too much.
Make a well in the center of the pan and add the shrimp paste and palm sugar, pressing them against the bottom of the skillet until they melt together. Add the fish sauce and stir everything together and continue to fry until the mixture is reduced and thickened into a paste.
Transfer to a storage container and when cool refrigerate.
Pomelo Salad:
- 1 pomelo, peeled, sectioned, membrane removed from each section, and refrigerated
- 2 tablespoons cold pressed peanut or palm oil
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
- ¼ cup toasted shredded coconut
- ¼ cup dried shrimp, soaked in hot water (or 12 poached plump shrimp, deveined)
- 2 red bird’s eye chilies, seeded and finely minced
- ¼ cup crushed roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
Break up the prepared pomelo sections into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet and fry the garlic until soft and only slightly colored. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and fry the shallots until soft and only lightly colored. Transfer to the plate with the garlic and set aside.
Wipe out the skillet once again with a paper towel and add the shredded coconut. Set the pan over medium low heat and lightly toast the coconut, stirring or tossing continuously. Remove the coconut from the pan promptly and set aside in a small bowl.
Drain the dried shrimp and pat dry. Coarsely chop and add to the bowl with the pomelo sections, or add poached shrimp if using. Add the fried garlic, shallots, minced chilies, two thirds of the toasted coconut, two thirds of the peanuts, and most of the coriander leaves, reserving enough leaves for garnishing.
Toss the ingredients until well combined and then add 3 to 5 tablespoons of the dressing and toss until combined.
Transfer the salad to individual serving bowls and drizzle a little more dressing over each serving. Sprinkle a little coconut and peanuts over each serving and garnish with remaining coriander leaves and serve promptly!
Nam Prik Num is a favorite northern Thai flame roasted green chile sauce that locals eat with Chiang Mai sausage, with a plate of raw vegetables, or especially with crispy fried pork skin. Yikes! That said, crispy pork skin dipped into this fiery green chile sauce is an indulgence that should not be denied! It’s a match made in heaven.
This is HOT stuff! The flavors of fiery roasted green chilies, roasted garlic and shallots, a dash of fermented Thai shrimp paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and fresh lime juice all pounded together in a stone mortar turns out a rustic hot green sauce that is instantly addictive. Even eating it with plain steamed rice is transportive. I’m planning to serve it with bites and drinks before a Thai supper for my visiting family from America next week and will post the menu soon after.
Nam Prik Num (Noom) makes 1 ½ cups
You may want to use disposable gloves when working with the chilies to avoid burning fingers!
There are many options for the chilies you can use for this recipe including Thai green chilies, jalapenos, New Mexico or Anaheim greens. Use whatever is available.
- 12 fresh Thai green chilies or 6 large green chilies (New Mexico green/Anaheim, or jalapenos)
3-4 small fresh Thai green bird’s eye chilies (optional for extra heat)
6 plump shallots, skin on
10 plump garlic cloves, skin on
2 teaspoons oil
1 teaspoon Thai fermented shrimp paste
1 teaspoon palm sugar (or white sugar)
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
Flame roast the green chilies (including the bird’s eye chilies if using), shallots, and garlic until the skin is blistered all over (see here). Set aside until cool enough to handle. Then peel the charred skin off the large chilies and discard the skin. To reduce the heat, split the chilies lengthwise and remove some of the seeds. Then quarter the chilies lengthwise (finely chopping the unpeeled bird’s eye chilies if using) and set aside.
Peel the charred skin off the shallots and garlic. Chop and set aside.
Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and when hot add the shrimp paste and palm sugar in the center of the pan and stir until melted together. Promptly add the chopped shallots and garlic and stir until combined. Transfer to a stone mortar and grind the ingredients until they are broken down. Then add the chopped chilies and continue to grind until the chilies are looking stringy. This may take a couple minutes.
Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Continue to grind until the liquid is incorporated. Taste and add more fish sauce if needed.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. The nam prik num will last about a week refrigerated, or freeze for longer storage.
Best served at room temperature!
Kaeng Som, aka Thai Yellow Curry, originates from central Thailand. It has a slightly sour taste and not to be confused with massaman curry from the south of Thailand that has its origins in India and Persia. Kaeng Som is very popular and served up in restaurants and food stalls across the country. Very easy to make using prepared sour Thai yellow curry paste which is perfectly acceptable and available in Asian food shops worldwide.
Or, if you are a purest, by all means make your own curry paste at home. A recipe is included below.
This is a dish you will find yourself making again and again. Kaeng Som’s sweet, sour, salty, spicy, and pungent flavors bundle together all the elements that make Thai foods so alluring and irresistible!
Kaeng Som Gai; Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken   serves 4
You will find this dish is often made with sliced boneless chicken breast meat in restaurants, although I much prefer using bone in legs and thighs for a moister meat and added flavor.
- 4 chicken legs and thighs separated, skin on (or boneless breasts thinly sliced)
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or cold pressed peanut oil)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons yellow Thai curry paste
- 4 teaspoons palm sugar
- 2 tablespoons tamarind water (tamarind paste dissolved in hot water and strained)
- 2 cups coconut cream (thick coconut milk)
- 1 cup stock or water
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into small bite size cubes
- 3 fresh red chilies, seeded and cut into thin strips
- 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
- sea salt to taste
- 1 cup fresh Thai Basil leaves, whole
- fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large deep sauce pan until nearly smoking. Add the chicken pieces skin side down and brown until the skin releases from the bottom of the pan. Turn and brown the other sides and transfer to a platter. Skip this step if you are using sliced chicken breast.
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and when hot add the curry paste and fry until the paste is soft and aromatic, about 1 minute. Then add the palm sugar and stir into the curry paste until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the tamarind water and stir until combined. Promptly add the coconut cream and stir until the paste is combined with the coconut cream. Then stir in the stock and add the chicken, kaffir lime leaves, eggplant, red chilies, and fish sauce. Lower the heat to simmer, partially cover the pan, and cook 30 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is nearly falling off the bone. Reduce cooking time to 20 minutes if using sliced chicken breast.
Taste the sauce and add sea salt to taste if needed. Stir in the basil leaves and cook another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and lightly coats the chicken pieces.Â
Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with Thai jasmine rice and pickled sliced cucumbers (ajat; recipe below) on the side.
Kaeng Som Curry paste:
- 7 dried red chilies
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 red shallots, peeled and minced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons Thai shrimp paste
- ½ inch knob galangal, peeled and minced
- ½ inch knob ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon toasted coriander seeds, ground
- ¾ teaspoon toasted cumin seeds, ground
- 2 inch piece lemongrass (inner white part only) minced
- ½ inch fresh turmeric, peeled and grated (or 1 teaspoon powder)
- 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
Soak the chilies in hot water until soft and drain. Slice open lengthwise and remove most of the seeds and mince.
Place the minced chilies in a mortar along with the salt, shallots, garlic, and shrimp paste. Grind until the ingredients form a paste. Then add the galangal, ginger, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, lemongrass, and turmeric. Grind until the paste is relatively smooth. Add the fish sauce and grind until incorporated.
Set aside for immediate use, or place in a jar and refrigerate or freeze for longer storage.
Ajat (pickled cucumbers) Prepare ahead.
- 1 large cucumber, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots
- 2 red or green fresh chilies, seeded and cut into thin slices ½ inch in length
- 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- water to cover
Place the sliced cucumbers, shallots, and chilies in a nonreactive bowl.
Place the sugar, vinegar, and salt in a small sauce pan and heat until the sugar and salt is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool and then pour over the cucumber mixture. Add enough water to just cover and stir to combine. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate for several hours.
There are many variations for a spicy Thai shrimp salad with noodles, but it is really the sauce (dressing) that delivers the flavor and pulls all the ingredients together into a spicy, sweet, sour, and pungent taste bite that is uniquely Thai!
I would suggest making the sauce first and don’t be timid after tasting. Cranking up the seasoning a bit you may think is being overly adventurous, but once it is tossed with the salad ingredients you will realize that the more assertive the flavor the better and the key to success here!
Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad with Rice Noodles  serves 4
Sauce /Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed kaffir lime juice + ½ teaspoon zest
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
- ¾ tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated garlic
- 5-6 small pointed (very hot) green chillies, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh coriander leaves
- ¼ teaspoon fermented shrimp paste heated in a spoon until melted
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nahm pla) + more to taste
- 2 to 3 teaspoons palm sugar (or white sugar)
- 5 tablespoons coconut cream + 1 tablespoon more to taste (Chaokoh brand widely available)
Combine all the ingredients, omitting 1 teaspoon palm sugar, 1 tablespoon coconut cream, and additional fish sauce, in a non-reactive bowl. Whisk until completely emulsified. Taste and add the remaining teaspoon palm sugar, tablespoon of coconut cream,and additional fish sauce to taste. Adding additional palm sugar and coconut cream will soften the citrus bite of the sauce, and additional fish sauce will add saltiness. Refrigerate if not using immediately.
For the Salad:
- 24 medium shrimp, head and tail attached
- 3 cups mixed salad; iceberg, baby cos (romaine), shredded cabbage, or your preferences
- ½ cup thinly sliced large red Asian shallots (or red onion)
- 1 cup thinly sliced carrot julienne
- ¼ cup small celery leaves
- ¼ cup fresh coriander leaves
- 2 large fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced
- 8oz/225g dry thin rice vermicelli (Thai san mee or Chinese mi fun)
24 small cherry tomatoes, halved - ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts coarsely ground (optional)
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the whole shrimp. Once the water comes back to a boil, cook 1 minute, turn off the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. Then transfer the shrimp to a colander to drain. Once the shrimp is cool enough to handle, remove the heads, legs, and shells, leaving the tails attached. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate to use later.
Place the lettuces in a large bowl. Add the shallots, carrots, celery leaves, coriander leaves, and red chillies. Toss everything together and refrigerate.
Meanwhile soak the vermicelli in warm water, turning frequently with tongs, for several minutes until softened, but not sticky. Transfer to a colander to drain, separating the noodles with the fingers so they don’t stick together.
Serving:
If you plan to serve the salad on a platter dress the mixed salad ingredients generously with the sauce and toss to coat evenly.
Place the softened vermicelli in another bowl, separating any strands that may sticking together. Add the shrimp and tomatoes. Dress generously with the sauce and toss to coat evenly.
Place the dressed salad ingredients on the platter and scatter the dressed vermicelli, shrimp and tomatoes over the salad. Using your hands, nestle the vermicelli, shrimp, and tomatoes into and over the salad ingredients. Spoon additional sauce over all and sprinkle the ground peanuts (if using) over the salad and serve.
If you are going to serve the salad individually it is best to follow the above instructions using a small bowl to combine the ingredients for each portion separately. Garnish with the ground peanuts (if using) once the salad is plated.
Suggested: This salad works beautifully with the addition of sliced firm mango or sectioned pommelo, or even grapefruit if pommelo is not available. (see here)