Mango salad

Mango Salad

Inspired by one of my favorite Thai restaurants in the city, I have been playing with this recipe for a while. Some Thai restaurants use green/unripe mangoes for this salad.  I personally prefer the sweet taste of a ripe but firm mango.

This recipe offers a pleasant balance of sweetness, spicy and acidity that is unique to the taste buds. It has a pleasing range of  textures – the softness of the mango contrasts with the crunchiness  from the peppers and the cashew nuts. It is full of aromas and colors. This salad satisfies all our senses.

During the summer, we often prepare grilled shrimp or chicken kabobs to accompany this salad, along with a good glass of a refreshing white or rose wine.

Substitute and/or adjust the amounts of the ingredients to suit your taste, or add your favorites too… such as shallots, grated carrots.

TIP: Fresh ginger root has a limited shelf live at room temperature or when stored it in the refrigerator. This is especially true if you have cut it or grated part of it already. By the time you go to use it again, it has gone bad. To preserve your fresh ginger, try freezing it instead. Freezing ginger keeps it in great shape and it makes it even easier to grate later on a Microplane. I rarely peel ginger even when I use it fresh.

Mango Salad

• Servings: 2
• Time: 20mins
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Mango salad with grilled shrimps.

Ingredients

• 1 mango (a ripe but firm mango)
• ½ sweet red pepper
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro (if you don’t like cilantro you can use green onions)
• a handful of cashew nuts
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce low sodium or tamari sauce
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp fresh or frozen ground ginger (packed)
• ½ tsp Thai red curry paste (or to taste)
• Mixed baby greens

Directions

Dressing:

1. Whisk soy sauce, orange juice, fish sauce, sesame oil, ground ginger and Thai red curry paste until all ingredients are incorporated and you can no longer see the red curry paste. Reserve.

Salad:

1. On a skillet over medium heat, toast your cashew nuts until fragrant and golden (about 5 minutes). Set aside and allow it to cool.
2. Peel, pit and thinly slice the mango lengthwise.
3. Seed, core and thinly slice red pepper.
4. Thinly chop the cilantro.
5. Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl.
6. Add salad dressing and cashews (reserving a few for garnishing) and gently toss until mixed.
7. Serve it on a bed baby greens and garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro and cashews.

 

Curious about mango nutritional value?

AM, foods&foodies, 2017