For Mother's Day, treat your mom to comforting, fuss-free salads by food blogger Sangita Agrawal.
You can serve them with a falafel wrap, an Indian-style Mexican Burrito, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, or Roast Chicken to make a whole meal.
The recipes come with homemade dressings that add an additional pop of flavour.
Photographs: Kind courtesy Sangita Agrawal
Thai Green Mango Salad or Som Tum Mamuang
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup or less julienned raw mango
- ½ cup julienned cucumber
- ½ cup thinly sliced red or green capsicum
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 tbsp roughly chopped dhania or coriander or cilantro
- 1 tbsp torn basil, optional
- 1 tbsp toasted and crushed peanuts + 1 tbsp for the garnish
- 2-3 tbps of finely chopped spring onions
For the dressing
- 2 fresh red chillies, minced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp brown sugar/sugar
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp roasted sesame/peanut oil
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp chopped spring onions
- Salt to taste
Method
- Pound the garlic, red chillies, spring onions, sugar and lemon juice in a mortar and pestle and then combine in a bowl with the soy sauce, sesame/peanut oil, salt and mix well.
Keep the dressing aside for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl transfer all the ingredients for the salad but reserve the 1 tbsp of peanuts for garnishing.
Add the dressing and mix lightly.
Top with the peanuts and some cilantro.
Serve immediately.
NOTE: Julienne the raw mango using a mandoline slicer or a julienne or zigzag peeler (please see the picture above) or employ some deft knife skills. Mandoline slicers and/or juilenne peelers are useful kitchen implements and can be purchased online.
The dressing can be made a day in advance. The ingredients of the dressing can be adjusted according to taste.
The salad should have a good balance of salty, hot, sweet and sour. Pour the dressing over the salad just before serving.
Vietnamese Mango Salad
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 mango, thinly sliced, not over-ripe, preferably still green
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 cup finely sliced cabbage
- ¼ cup sliced white of the spring onions
- ¼ cup chopped spring onion greens
- ¼ cup torn mint leaves
- ¼ cup fresh dhania or coriander or cilantro, roughly chopped
- ½ cup mixed sprouts, optional
- 2 tbsp crispy fried shallots
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, roasted
- ¼ cup peanuts, roasted and lightly crushed
For the salad dressing
- 1 fresh red chilly, thinly sliced
- 2 pods of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp palm sugar/white sugar
- 2 tsp roasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)
- Salt to taste
Method
For the dressing
- In a bowl combine the lime juice, sugar, salt and mix till the sugar has dissolved.
Add the sesame oil, vinegar and mix.
Crush the chilly, ginger and garlic in a mortar and pestle.
Add this paste to the sugar, salt, oil and lime juice mix and set aside.
You can also transfer all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender and puree until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the mango, carrot, cabbage, spring onions, including the greens, sprouts, mint, coriander and peanuts.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds and fried shallots on the top.
Serve immediately.
Sangita Agrawal lives in Mumbai and publishes the food blog Bliss of Cooking.
