The pomelo salad, like most yams (Thai salad) showcases Thai cuisine's four basic flavors: tangy, salty, sweet and hot. The blast of lime provides the tang, the fish sauce infuses in the saltiness, and if the pomelos are in season they would make the salad juicy and sweet. But the real secret is in the dressing, a blend of contrasting ingredients dominated by the naam plaa or Thai fish sauce. The naam plaa is the main source of salt for the Thais, used in cooking and as a condiment. It is fermented into varying grades and colors and is used in practically all Thai dishes.
I was really excited about this and was very happy with the outcome. The only thing I would do differently is separate the pomelo into smaller segments, add more chili paste (I held back for my mom's sake) and make it sooner so it has time to cool in the fridge longer. Pomelo Salad (Yam Som Oo)
1 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
1 tbsp thinly sliced shallots
2 tbsp grated coconut, roasted
1 cup (150g) pomelo segments
1 to 3 cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tsp chopped red chilies
1 tbsp ground roasted peanuts
2 tbsp coriander leaves
For the dressing:
1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut milk
2 tsp grated palm sugar (I used muscovado sugar)
1 tbsp naam plaa or Thai fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp roasted chili paste
To prepare the dressing, boil the coconut milk, palm sugar, fish sauce, chili paste and lime juice in a wok for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Stir-fry the garlic and shallots separately for 1 minute, the combine them in a bowl. Add the roasted coconut, pomelo, shrimp, chilies and ground roasted peanuts. Dress the salad and garnish with coriander leaves.
18 comments:
MMMMM! I share your love for this salad :) Thanks for sharing the recipe! Will make it next time I make Thai curry :)
What a fabulous looking dish! I bookmarked it in my newsfeed even before I read the entire post. Now I'll be urging my cilantro seedlings to grow, grow, grow! This salad is just begging to be enjoyed on a nice sunny day.
This is one of the VERY few salads I totally adore. And yours looks delicious; I want to eat it off the screen! I can't wait to taste it in its native land. :-P
You're welcome, Jo! :)
Hi Rowena! It's most perfect on sunny days, that's for sure. Pomelos are so refreshing, especially when they're in season and so juicy! How nice that you grow your own cilantro from seedlings! I buy my herbs planted in pots already, I'm lazy like that heehee. :)
My gosh, Katrina, you'll go nuts! If you think it's good here (like in People's Palace), boy you're in for such a treat! :)
I'm tempted to buy this cookbook! I already own 2 Thai cookbooks which are very well used. I guess one more to add to my collection can't be that bad.:)
Your pomelo salad looks so yummy!
I love Thai salads, mixing in seafood with vegetables like your recipe, or green papaya salad (eaten with coconut sticky rice). Everytime I think of pomelo in Thailand, reminds me of a dinner where they mixed fresh pomelo with a hot omelette, it was really good, and surprising.
Hi Oggi! Since you make good use of your cookbooks, then you definitely can afford to get another. :) Which books do you have and what would you recommend?
Mila, how interesting, pomelo in an omelette. I can't even begin to imagine what that tastes like, but I'd love to try!
Yummy !
Hi Christine! I sent you an email, and I hope you'll be able to read it today. It's related to cooking, of course! :)
Haaay...I miss Thai food. There's not much good, authentic Thai restaurants here, don't you think? Or do you know of a few?
Can't explain it, but I prefer the Thai restaurants in NYC.
You should open your own restaurant!
OMG that shrimp is HUGE! looks juicy too. lucky me, i found an excellent thai resto near my apartment. no frills, but yummy food. they have a raw papaya salad! perfectly refreshing for hot days.
The book I can recommend highly is The Love of Thai Cooking published in 1978 and is still available used at amazon, I think. The book does not specify any authors, it says tested & proven by The Culinary Division of Vista Productions Test Kitchens. The recipes are simple, authentic Thai, no fusion cooking here and accompanied by large photographs.
The other cookbook I have, The Thai Cookbook by Pannipa Dibbayawan & Guy Cox, also available used at amazon is okay, not as good as the above.
Sorry for the long comment:)
Hi Sidney, it sure was! :)
Vina, you're the best! I'm so excited for Saturday, thank you thank you! :) For Thai restaurants in Manila I have two favorites - Soms near Rockwell, and People's Palace but of course there are others. Just not sure how authentic they really are.
Senor Enrique, be careful what you wish for! hehe I bet they had amazing Thai restaurant there, NY is like the restaurant capital of the world isnt it? Like London. Practically every cuisine is represented there, how lucky you are. :)
Hey P! So nice to "see" you here. :) I got the shrimps at S&R and they were not even the jumbo ones, they were already so big! Oohh a neighborhood Thai resto, lucky you!
Oggi, please don't apologize! Thank you so much for the recommendation. I'll be adding that to my wishlist over at amazon. :)
It's hard for us heat lovers to satisfy both our desires and those of our non chili loving friends!
Ari (Baking and Books)
I am slowly building my Thai recipe book from your posts. :-) The picture you have is lovely.
Ari, that's true! And that's always the case at home, most of us our heat lovers, it's really just my mom that stands alone. And the poor woman has had to endure some torture in that respect, but of course most of the time we adjust to please everyone. :)
Hey orange pixie, thanks! :) When I like the Thai recipes I try I'll post about it so you can add them to your collection.
Excellent pomelo salad - really tasty and so simple to make! Thank you!
You're very welcome. I'm so glad you liked it! :)
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