Itty bitty steep stairs Many years ago I decided to go on an adventure by myself and visit the ruins of Ankor Wat in Cambodia. I spent my days hiking up impossibly steep staircases with tiny little stairs. Either people in the thirteenth century had very tiny feet or safety was not even remotely on the minds of the builders. Working up a good appetite everyday I often visited the nearby food carts selling baguette sandwiches and fruit. In the evenings I roamed the streets of Siem Reap looking for a tasty supper. The most delicious thing I ate while there was a mango salad. It was such a contrast of flavours that every bite was subtly and deliciously different than the last.
I spent some time trying to recreate this salad and my biggest obstacle was trying to find a few mangoes that were the same ripeness. Very challenging in Canada. So my salad has lettuce in it which is quite different from the original but the flavours are there. This salad really is a hit and is something I often serve when I have company. You can't dress this salad until you are ready to eat it.
I spent some time trying to recreate this salad and my biggest obstacle was trying to find a few mangoes that were the same ripeness. Very challenging in Canada. So my salad has lettuce in it which is quite different from the original but the flavours are there. This salad really is a hit and is something I often serve when I have company. You can't dress this salad until you are ready to eat it.
Mango Salad
1 mango grated*
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ a sliced red pepper
1/3 cup peanuts*
4 – 5 torn lettuce leaves (I usually use romaine or green leaf)
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup of cilantro roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tbsp)
2 tsp of fish sauce
1 small red finger chilli finely chopped
Firstly, mix the lime juice, fish sauce and chilli together in a little dish. If you can’t find the right chilli then use chilli flakes, maybe 1 - 2 tsp. As the chilli sits in the liquid it infuses and makes the dressing spicier so keep this in mind if you don’t want it too spicy. You could also use more mint and cilantro in your recipe if it suits your taste and you could add more lettuce if you want this salad to feed more. Mix the salad ingredients together and add the dressing before serving.
*Try to buy a mango that is firm but has a little give to it. You don’t want a really ripe one as they are hard to grate and so sweet. If that is all you have then you can still use it just use a knife to dice it rather than grate it.
*I always buy raw peanuts and toast them over a medium heat in a fry pan (no oil). Keep an eye on them and shake them frequently so they evenly brown. If you can't get raw peanuts make sure you use unsalted ones.
1 mango grated*
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ a sliced red pepper
1/3 cup peanuts*
4 – 5 torn lettuce leaves (I usually use romaine or green leaf)
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup of cilantro roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime (about 3 tbsp)
2 tsp of fish sauce
1 small red finger chilli finely chopped
Firstly, mix the lime juice, fish sauce and chilli together in a little dish. If you can’t find the right chilli then use chilli flakes, maybe 1 - 2 tsp. As the chilli sits in the liquid it infuses and makes the dressing spicier so keep this in mind if you don’t want it too spicy. You could also use more mint and cilantro in your recipe if it suits your taste and you could add more lettuce if you want this salad to feed more. Mix the salad ingredients together and add the dressing before serving.
*Try to buy a mango that is firm but has a little give to it. You don’t want a really ripe one as they are hard to grate and so sweet. If that is all you have then you can still use it just use a knife to dice it rather than grate it.
*I always buy raw peanuts and toast them over a medium heat in a fry pan (no oil). Keep an eye on them and shake them frequently so they evenly brown. If you can't get raw peanuts make sure you use unsalted ones.
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