Recipe Archives->Vegetarian->Chef Salad

Yam Yai - Thai "Chef's Salad"

Chinese lettuce (or other broad leafed veggie) 
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1/2 cup tomato wedges
1/2 cup cucumber, sliced
1/2 cup prik chi fa (Thai jalapenos), julienned
1/2 cup broccoli florets, blanched
1/2 cup bean sprouts

Line a serving bowl with the lettuce leaves, then toss the other
ingredients and place on the lettuce, garnish with cilantro/coriander
leaves, lime leaves, thinly sliced shallots, and julienned spring
onions.


Dressing 

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup peanuts
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons [rice] vinegar or nam makham piag (tamarind juice)
2 tablespoons nam tan paep (palm sugar)
1 tablespoon prik ki nu daeng haeng (dried red chilies), ground
1 tablespoon khao koor (toasted rice)

In a dry skillet or wok, toast the peanuts until light golden brown,
allow to cool and crumble (a few sharp blows with the flat of a
cleaver should suffice, and avoid turning them into peanut butter
as the use of a food processor is inclined to).

Toast 2 tablespoons of uncooked long grain rice (either white or
brown, to taste), and then when cool, grind to a coarse powder
(khao koor).

Combine the ingredients to form the dressing and place in a small
bowl.

Thai salads are not served 'dressed', this being left to the diners.
If available, you could also add a few of the different Thai dips
(nam prik kiga, nam prik kapi are suitable for vegetables, and can
be adapted to vegetarian/vegan life styles without serious loss of
authenticity).

Printable version: chef-salad.txt.