Heavenly Fragrance. Carol Selva Selva Rajah
Amatyakul of the Bangkok Oriental Cooking School, and it has been my favorite since. Here I have added more texture with crispy wonton skins and nori strips for a swirling festive dish, great for New Year’s parties with fireworks as a backdrop.
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the wonton strips over medium heat until they curl up and become crispy, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels. Drain off most of the oil, reheat the wok until very hot and sear the beef for 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and cool, then slice into thin strips across the grain.
Prepare the Tangy Thai Dressing by grinding the garlic and chili peppers in a mortar or process in a food processor until fine. Transfer to a bowl, add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Place all the ingredients except the orange, lettuce leaves, nori and wonton strips in a salad bowl. Drizzle the Dressing over them and toss well to combine. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a serving platter and spoon the beef salad on top. Garnish with the orange segments, wonton strips and nori strips and serve chilled.
SERVES: 6
PREPARATION TIME: 45 mins
COOKING TIME: 5 mins
1 lb (500 g) fresh jumbo shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon melted butter
1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 green tomato, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons dried channa dal, soaked overnight, drained and dry-roasted
1/2 cup (40 g) besan or chickpea flour, dry-roasted in the microwave for
1–2 minutes on high
5 kaffir lime leaves, sliced into thin shreds Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
CRISPY FRIED GARLIC
2 tablespoons oil
3–4 cloves garlic, minced
PLUM DRESSING
1 tablespoon Garlic Oil (page 56)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon bottled Chinese plum sauce
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
Fragrant shrimp salad with plum dressing
Burma, now known as Myanmar, lies at the confluence of two major cuisines—those of India and China. This dish combines Indian and Chinese influences—with the aroma of young kaffir lime leaves and the richness of buttery shrimp. Crayfish or lobster may be substituted for the shrimp, if you prefer.
Prepare the Garlic Oil by following the recipe on page 56.
Prepare the Crispy Fried Garlic first by heating the oil in a skillet and sautéing the garlic over medium heat until golden and crispy, about 1 minute. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Alternatively, cover the garlic with 1 tablespoon of oil in a heatproof dish and microwave for 1 minute on high, then stir and microwave for another minute.
Combine the shrimp, salt and butter in a large bowl and mix well. Set aside to marinate for 5 minutes, then grill the shrimp on a preheated pan grill or under an oven broiler until pink and just cooked, 1–2 minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and cool. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tails on.
Place the shrimp in a large salad bowl with the onion, carrot, tomato, roasted channa dal, besan flour and kaffir lime leaf shreds. Combine the Plum Dressing ingredients in a small bowl and mix well, then pour it over the salad and toss until well blended, adjusting the seasonings as desired. Sprinkle with the Crispy Fried Garlic and serve immediately, garnished with coriander sprigs.
SERVES: 4
PREPARATION TIME: 30 mins + overnight soaking
COOKING TIME: 20 mins
1/2 cup (100 g) dried chickpeas (split peas)
1/2 cup (100 g) dried urad dal
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 jicama (1 lb/500 g), peeled and sliced into thick strips
2 small green mangoes (7 oz/200 g total), peeled and pitted, flesh thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon roasted cashew nuts
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
4 fresh shiso or perilla leaves, chopped
2–3 bird’s eye red chili peppers, sliced (optional)
PICKLED TEA LEAVES
1/4 cup (10 g) dried green Chinese tea leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (500 ml) boiled and cooled water
CHILI OIL
4 dried red finger-length chili peppers, stems removed, broken into small pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) oil
DRESSING
Fresh juice of 2 limes
2–3 tablespoons Chili Oil (see above)
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh pineapple juice
1/2 cup (125 ml) coconut juice
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Tea leaf salad with green mango and cashews
The serving of this pickled tea leaf salad, known as laphet thoke in Myanmar, is a social custom—a peace offering and a palate cleanser. Old folks chew pickled tea leaves to keep their teeth strong. Young Burmese usually serve it in a lacquer tray with the individual compartments containing the ingredients that make up the salad. The dressing is served on the side. Guests are then invited to toss their own tiny portions of scented and crisp salad with garlic, onion and perfumed green mango together with pickled green tea leaves and dressing to suit their personal taste. This is a recipe sent to me by my friend, Daul Mien Sin Sin.
Make the Pickled Tea Leaves first by combining all the ingredients in a jar, then cover tightly and shake the jar until the ingredients are mixed well. Allow the tea leaves to soak for at least 2 days, a week is better. Before using, drain the tea leaves and squeeze out the liquid.
Make the Chili Oil by dry-roasting the dried chili pepper in a skillet over low heat until fragrant and light brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and grind finely in a mortar then add to the oil. Alternatively break the dry-roasted chili peppers into small pieces and return them to the pan, then pour in the oil and leave to marinate for 30 minutes, then simmer over medium heat for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and cool. Store the unused Chili Oil in a bottle.
To prepare the salad, soak the dried chickpeas and urad dal, separately, in water for several hours until soft, then drain and dry-roast them in a skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet, sauté the garlic in 3 tablespoons of oil over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until crispy. Combine all the salad ingredients with the Pickled Tea Leaves in a mixing bowl and toss well.
Combine the Dressing ingredients in a small bowl, then drizzle it over the salad and toss thoroughly until the salad is coated