Yam Som O - Pomelo Salad Print E-mail

This refreshing Thai salad is a rewarding combination of flavors and textures - pomelo sections bursting with their mellow sweet flavor, lightly coated with a savory and spicy coconut dressing balanced with bright flavor notes from lime and tamarind, and finished with the satisfying scent and crunch of roasted peanuts.

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Ingredients

400 grams

pomelo segments*

8

shrimp (optional)

1

carrot (optional)

3 cloves

garlic

6

small shallots (or 3 large)

3-5

fresh red Thai bird chilies (or more to your taste)

1 cup

mint leaves (or mixed with cilantro)

¼ cup

peeled roasted peanuts

For the sauce:

½ cup

coconut milk

2 Tbsp

fish sauce

3 Tbsp

lime juice

3 Tbsp

tamarind juice

1 Tbsp

sugar

1 Tbsp

roasted chili paste (nam prik pao**)

*Pomelo has very thick and heavy skin, so this is what you need once it is peeled. Also, this salad is best when pomelo is in season and the sections are moist and dense; if the pomelo is dry it will not only be lacking in flavor but the pulp will also crumble. 

**Nam prik pao is a chili paste of fried dried chilies, garlic and shallots. You can find it jarred at some Asian supermarkets; or make your own with our nam prik pao recipe .

Preparation

Make the sauce:  Combine the coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, tamarind juice, lime juice and roasted chili paste/nam prik pao; bring to a boil then reduce to low simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool before dressing salad. 

For the salad:  If using shrimp, peel and devein. Cook briefly by placing in boiling water for a minute or so until opaque; remove and rinse in cold water.  If using carrot, shred or julienne.  Salt lightly, toss and set aside.

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Remove all pith from pomelo segments (the pith is very bitter so leaving even small bits or strings can be unpleasant); break into bite sized chunks (do not make the pieces too small as they will break down further as you mix the salad.  Note: dry pomelo makes for poor pomelosalad as it will crumble when you break it apart. 

Mince garlic, slice shallots. Finely slice or mince fresh chilies - deseed them if you prefer a milder spice level.  Chop mint leaves into thick ribbons. Pan roast peanuts in a dry pan until slightly browned and fragrant; lightly chop or crush peanuts. 

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Place pomelo pieces into a large bowl. Stir fry the garlic and shallots until fragrant and add to the pomelo. Add the cooked shrimp, the carrot (first squeeze out any excess liquid released from salting), fresh chilies, and half of peanuts. Dress with half of the sauce, mix gently, taste it, and then add more sauce or adjust seasonings to taste. If you want it spicier, you can either add more nam prik pao paste directly to the salad for a milder smoky heat, or add more Thai bird chilies.

Mix in herbs and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts before serving.