Thai Grapefruit Salad
Pomelo salad is one of the most famous of all Thai salads and a favorite among the Thai people. Pomelo is similar to grapefruit but much larger.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 6 persons
Ingredients
- For the Salad Dressing:
- ⅓cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3tablespoons fish sauce
- 1tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 ½to 3 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
- 1to 2 teaspoons Thai chili sauce
- For the Salad:
- 12to 16 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
- 2tablespoons shredded coconut, unsweetened or sweetened
- 2pink grapefruit, or 1 pomelo
- 1small to medium cucumber, diced
- 1red pepper, diced
- ¼cup finely chopped shallots
- ¼cup fresh basil, chopped
- ¼cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1red chili, minced, optional
- ¼cup dry-roasted unsalted cashews
- Handful salad greens, optional, for serving
Instructions
Step 1
Combine all dressing ingredients together in a cup, stirring well to dissolve the sugar.Step 2
Set a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add shrimp and boil just a few minutes, until shrimp turn pink and plump and firm to the touch. Drain and set aside to cool.Step 3
Place shredded coconut in a dry frying pan or wok over medium-high heat and stir until coconut turns light golden brown and fragrant. Place coconut in a small bowl to cool and set aside.Step 4
Prepare your grapefruit, removing as much of the white peel as possible from the fruit. Break into bite-sized pieces, 3 to 4 cups is a good amount. Set prepared fruit in a salad bowl.Step 5
Add to the bowl the cucumber, red pepper, shallots, basil, cilantro, and fresh chili, if using.Step 6
To put the salad together, add shrimp to the salad bowl, then pour over the dressing. Toss well to combine. Add most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little for garnishing, then toss again.Step 7
Taste-test the salad for a balance of sweet/sour/spicy/salty. Adjust to your liking, adding more sugar if too sour. Your salad is now ready to serve, or, if desired, prepare individual plates with a bed of greens and then top with generous portions of the pomelo salad. Sprinkle with reserved coconut and cashews.