Everyday Cooking

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Prawn and Green Mango Salad


Here I am desperately clinging on to summer and what better way to defy the seasons than by enjoying the last of the harvest? Sadly, ripe mangos have again pretty much disappeared from the fruit shops but I was lucky enough to stumble upon some cooking mangos.

Filipinos have an affinity for green, sour, under-ripe but crunchy mangos. They are usually simply sliced, dipped in salt or bagoong (shrimp paste) and enjoyed with puckered lips. The more sour they are, the better. Little did I know, though, that Filipinos didn't have the monopoly on the pleasures of this masochistic snacking. Trying to introduce green mangos to an Indian friend a while back, she said 'Oh yeah, we love those back home dipped in salt and chili'. A Kenyan friend declared, 'Hmm, delicious with salt and sugar'.

These days, green mangos are available not only in the Asian shops but at most green grocers in Sydney. Then I came across this Thai recipe for enjoying them with prawns. Bingo! It could only be a winner...


Prawn and Green Mango Salad


300g cooked prawns (shelled, tail left on)
1 cup julienned cooking mangos (the flesh should still be firm and green or very pale yellow)
2 stalks spring onions, sliced
2 red birds-eye chillis, finely chopped
2 Tbs chopped coriander leaves
2 Tbsp chopped mint leaves
3 c salad greens


Dressing

1/4 c water
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp minced ginger
2 Tbsp fish sauce
juice from 1 lime
dash of sesame oil


To prepare the dressing, simmer the water, sugar and ginger on low heat until the sugar has melted. When the mixture has cooled down, add the fish sauce, lime juice and sesame oil.


Assemble the salad by mixing together the salad leaves, coriander, mint, spring onion and chillis. Top with the mangos and prawns. Drizzle the dressing over and enjoy!

12 comments:

Manggy said...

I ate a mango in the States. It was red-green, subtly sweet, and kind of hard! It was not the mango I've come to know and love!

My mom loves green mango salad, but I'm allergic to bagoong. Thanks for providing a recipe that doesn't include it :)

test it comm said...

That salad looks really good. i like the sound or sour green mangoes. I will have to look for them.

Anonymous said...

oh wow, I can already taste this salad and I'm salivating :)

Laurie Constantino said...

My husband would love this - he really likes very sour food. The combination of ingredients sounds very interesting.

Chibog in Chief said...

beautiful beautiful salad!! love this crackling green mango salad and prawn combination..its like eating giannt bagoong hehehe...im glad to be back

Anonymous said...

I have to say that I am yet to eat green mangoes with salt and/or bagoong, but my mom loves that stuff.

Using the green mangoes in a salad is more my speed though, thanks for this recipe.

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Jessy and her dog Winnie said...

You are still in summer!? Lucky!! I'm right at the end of winter.

Rasa Malaysia said...

Hi Maybahay - thanks for your nice comment about that not-so-nice comment I got. Btw, your prawns are calling my name and asked me to eat them. ;)

tigerfish said...

Mango salad is so refreshing! Love it. :D

Nic said...

My husband would love this, prawns are one of his favourite things to munch on. As for me, I would eat that lovely salad and divine dressing!

Oggi said...

I love the sourest greenest mango with either bagoong or patis, and I also eat them occasionally with salt and sugar.
Your Thai salad looks really really good, I'm drooling!:)