Green Papaya Salad Recipe (Som Tum)

Hot Thai Kitchen

Ingredients

1½ cups julienned green papaya, soak in ice water for 10-15 minutes until they are firmer (See my video @1:20 on how to julienne green papaya)
2 cloves of garlic
Thai chilies, to taste 
1½ Tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
2-3 long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 Tbsp roasted peanuts (see note)
1 heaping Tbsp small dried shrimp, roughly chop if you have large ones
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (see note)
2 tsp tamarind juice
1½ Tbsp fish sauce
½ cup grape tomato halves or a small tomato cut into wedges


Steps

Drain the papaya well and place in a bowl lined with 2 layers of paper towel to absorb excess water. You want to have as little water on the papaya as possible so as to not dilute the dressing.

In a mortar and pestle, pound garlic and chilies until there are no more chunks (pieces of chili skin is fine).

Add palm sugar and mash with the pestle until it turns into a wet paste and all the chunks are dissolved.

Add long beans and pound just until they’re broken.

Add dried shrimp and peanuts and pound to break the peanuts up slightly.

Add fish sauce, tamarind juice, and lime juice, adding the squeezed lime skin into the mortar as well for extra lime fragrance. Stir with a large spoon to mix and dissolve the sugar.

Add shredded papaya and tomatoes, and mix using the pound-and-flip method as shown in the video @8:40. Once everything looks well mixed and the tomatoes are just slightly crushed, it’s done!

Plate and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts

Italian Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp dry italian herbs
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt


Steps

Mix well

Korean Cucumber Salad

Kimchimari

Ingredients

1 cucumber (Japanese, English, Persian, Pickling are all good) – about 1 1/2 cup sliced for 1 cucumber
1 Tbs soy sauce (Jin Ganjang)
2 Tbs rice vinegar
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp or more red chili powder
1/4 tsp sesame seeds
2 green onions , chopped


Steps

Slice cucumbers into thin slices. Around 1/8 inch (3 mm).
Mix soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Pour soy vinegar into the bowl with cucumbers.
Then, add 1/2 tsp chili powder and sesame seeds. Mix and taste. Add more chili powder if you want. Doing it in this order allows you to taste and control the amount of chili powder based on how spicy you want it.
Add chopped green onions and mix again.
YOU ARE DONE!! Serve immediately for the most fresh and crunchy cucumber flavor. You can also let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the cucumbers to absorb the dressing before serving.

 

Monk Salad

Chef in Disguise

Ingredients

1 big grilled eggplant or two small ones,
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic minced
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
1 medium tomato deseeded and chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped mint


Steps

  • Poke the eggplant in several places with a fork. On the stove top, or on the grill, roast the eggplant on the open flame and turn it every couple of minutes untill it is  all soft and charred.
  • Place the eggplant in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to steam for 5-7 minutes
  • Peel the eggplant (you can keep a little of the charred peel for more smoky flavor). Chop the eggplant finely,
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and toss to combine
  • Decorate with mint, a drizzle of olive oil and pomegranate molasses and enjoy

Pearl Couscous Salad

Ingredients

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 to 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped, green part only
1 1/2 cups Pearl couscous
3 cups water
2 Persian cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 1/3- to 1/2-inch slices
3 ounces crumbled feta, about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons chopped mint
1/3 cup chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper


Steps

  1. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and place them in a medium mixing bowl. Add the salt, garlic, jalapeño, olive oil, lemon juice and green onions, and stir to combine. Set aside to let the salt draw out the tomato juices.
  2. Toast the couscous in a dry medium saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it smells nutty, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, partially covered, until the couscous is just tender but still a little chewy, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, rinse under cool running water and shake well to remove as much moisture as possible.
  3. While the couscous is still slightly warm, add it to the tomato mixture and toss to coat. Set aside to cool completely.
  4. Add the cucumbers, feta, mint and parsley just before serving, and stir gently to combine. Add black pepper to taste and stir that in. Taste again and add more salt or lemon juice if your think it’s necessary.

Ranch Dressing

Ree Drummond

Ingredients

1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup real mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash hot sauce
1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk (as needed for desired consistency)


Steps

  1. Mince the garlic with a knife and then sprinkle on the salt and mash it into a paste with a fork.
  2. In a bowl, combine the garlic paste, mayonnaise, sour cream, parsley, dill, chives, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, vinegar, paprika, cayenne and hot sauce. Add the buttermilk to desired consistency and mix to combine, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thinning with more buttermilk if needed.

Taboulé

750g

Ingredients

30g de boulghour fin
4 tomates bien mûres mais fermes
3 citrons
2 oignons verts
3 bottes de persil plat
4 brins de menthe
4 à 6 c à s d'huile d'olive selon le goût
1 pincée de piment d'Espelette (facultatif)
1 petite pincée de cannelle (facultatif)
Sel


Steps

  1. Commencez par presser 2 citrons et versez le jus sur le boulgour étalé au fond d'un saladier, ajoutez le sel et le piment d'espelette, réservez.
  2. Mondez les tomates (ôtez la peau), épépinez-les et coupez-les en petits dès. Déposez-les ensuite sur le boulgour. Surtout ne remuez pas le mélange et égalisez bien la couche de tomate. 
  3. Lavez et hachez très finement le persil, ajoutez-le sur les tomates toujours sans remuer.
  4. Coupez très finement les oignons et déposez les lamelles ainsi obtenues sur le persil. Vous pouvez, si vous le souhaitez, les saupoudrer avec une très petite pincée de cannelle. Lavez et effeuillez les brins de menthe, hacher les feuilles et enfouissez-les dans le persil pour éviter qu'elles ne noircissent (sinon hachez-la juste avant de mélanger le tout).  
  5. Sans être remué, ce mélange peut rester en attente au réfrigérateur (saladier bien filmé) quelques heures voire jusqu'au lendemain.
  6. Au moment de servir, mélangez le tout, goûtez et rectifiez l'assaisonnement si nécessaire. Il est spuvent nécessaire d'ajouter du jus de citron et/ou du sel. 
  7. Ajoutez l'huile d'olive et servez sur un lit de feuilles de salade tendres.

Tofu Skin Salad

Fusion Food Blog

Ingredients

100g dry tofu skin
3 garlic cloves 
1 tbsp spring onion minced 
0.5 tsp salt 
0.5 tbsp light soy sauce 
1 tsp brown vinegar 
0.2 tbsp chili oil
1 pinch sugar 
0.5-1 tsp sesame oil


Steps

  1. Break the tofu skin into pieces (about 10 cm long), place in a bowl and pour enough cold water to cover all the tofu skins and leave for about 1 hour
  2. Meanwhile, mash the garlic to a paste and chop the sping onions to fine mince
  3. Drain the tofu skins, they should be soft and bendable. Cut them into smaller pieces at a 45 degree angle
  4. In a medium pot, add water and 1/2 tsp of salt and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the tofu skins and leave for 10-20 sec (until they float to the surface)
  5. Drain the tofu skins and place in a large bowl. Add the soy sauce, vinager, chili oil, garlic, spring onions, a pinch of sugar, and sesame oil. Mix well, let it sit for about 30 min