Another recipe

[chickenfeet]

This is a fairly typical Thai salad. IMO just about any Thai meal should include a salad (yam)or a larp.

Yam Som Oo

Pulp from a large pomelo (could use grapefruit I guess but would be wetter/softer)
3 tbsp shredded, roasted coconut
2 cloves garlic sliced and deep fried (or use the pre cooked ones or just chop the stuff)
3 red shallots sliced and deep fried or not - see above
1 tbsp coarsely ground roasted peanuts
2-5 fresh red or green Thai chillies finely sliced
4-6 mint leaves torn (or substitute any kind of basil)
2 tbsp cilantro leaves
100g cooked shelled shrimp (optional)
50g steamed and julienned pork (optional)

Dressing:
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp palm sugar
1 tsp lime juice
1 tbsp chilli jam (sold in Asian markets as 'Roasted Chilli Paste')
2 tbsp coconut cream

Mix the dressing making sure it tastes salty and sweet and not too sour.

Toss everything together and serve on a large platter with other dishes and rice.

I used store bought deep fried garlic and shallot and didn't include the shrimp or prawns and it was still very good.

X-posted to gastrogasm

Comments

[badasstronaut.livejournal.com]

That sounds really nice. I do something a bit like that but I think, with reference to this, I could do some refinements.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

How do single urbanites (or even urban couples) eat in this culture?

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Freezer - but not for a dish like this obviously.

Speaking for the bear&lemur show, I cook seriously a couple of times a week. Most of it goes in the freezer for the nights I can't be bothered. It's dead easy to fire uop the rice cooker, defrost a few dishes and maybe cut up some raw veggies. Instant Thai meal!

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Is this how it works there, as well? I guess what I'm asking is how evil I am being when I make pad thai, a quick curry paste-coconut milk tofu curry and lots of rice and that fish sauce / lime juice / chili condiment whose name escapes me. I've never been really thrilled with reheating frozen vegetarian dishes, as compared to those with meat.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

The condiment is nam prik in its most basic form.

I don't think you are being evil but you are being inauthentic in that noodles and rice aren't served together in Thailand. Pad Thai (or any other noodle dish) makes a one-dish snack/breakfast/lunch rather than part of a more complex meal. Garnishes and condiments might well be served with noodles but not curry and rice. That said, whatever works for you! I object when restaurants present that kind of combo as if it were authentic but I think anyone has the right to combine whatever dishes they like. I'll sometimes eat Som Tam with pita bread or tortillas.

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

Oh, and unrelatedly, I really love citrus-based salads. There's a gorgeous North African one that I love that's grapefruit and fennel bulb, with lots of olive oil, toasted cumin and salt.