Thai green mango salad (Som Tum Mamuang) is a delicious and healthy salad. This salad has an interesting balance of salty, spicy, sweet and sour dressing. The main ingredient is green Mango (unripe mango) and now being the beginning of summer season, we have fresh unripe mangoes available in the market. As the summer heat is here to stay for some time, it is a good idea to include a lot of fresh salads in your meals.
I love mangoes and am constantly on lookout for recipes. I ate this salad when I had gone to Thailand for a holiday. For this salad choose the variety of mango that is not too sour. Here in India Totapuri mango works well, as it is the khatta mitha aam and quite crunchy.
Today I am very excited as this salad is made with organic mango and lime from our community garden, where we grow fruits and vegetables and happily share the produce. To add to this I plucked a red capsicum, basil and cilantro from my Balcony Garden.
A mortar and pestle is a must for making the dressing for this salad. A little pounding helps to infuse the flavor’s well. First make the dressing and let it rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime chop the vegetables and pour the dressing just before serving to retain the crunch of the vegetables. Please do not miss the toasted peanuts for that extra crunch and nuttiness. So what are you waiting for…. go ahead and make this yummy salad that is made with simple ingredients found in your pantry.
You may like to try our other salad recipes Thai Red Cabbage and Carrot Salad, Fruit and Vegetable Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing and Mexican Salad with Nacho Chips.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Ingredients For Thai green mango salad
1 cup unripe mango julienned
½ cup cucumber julienned
½ cup red or green capsicum sliced thinly
½ cup onion sliced thinly / shallots
1 tablespoon coriander roughly chopped
1 tablespoon basil torn (optional)
1+1 tablespoon toasted peanuts crushed lightly
Spring onions
For the dressing
2 red chilies minced (chilli padi)
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar/ sugar
1 teaspoon soya sauce
2 teaspoon sesame oil/ peanut oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 teaspoon spring onions chopped
Salt to taste
Directions For Thai green mango salad
- Pound together garlic, red chilies, sugar and lemon juice in a mortar pestle. Remove in a boul.
- Add rest of the ingredients for the dressing to the bowl and whisk well. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl transfer all the ingredients for the salad keeping aside 1 tablespoon of peanuts for garnishing.
- Now add the dressing and mix lightly.
- Top with the peanuts and some cilantro leaves.
- Serve immediately.
Notes For Thai green mango salad
- Julienne mango using a mandolin slicer, knife or a zigzag peeler designed to julienne vegetables.
- Dressing can be made a day in advance and can be seasoned according to taste. The salad should be a good balance of salty, hot, sweet and sour.
- Pour the dressing just before serving.
