Vietnamese chicken salad.

I looked up the recipe for a Vietnamese salad because I want something fresh and healthy after eating all the creamy stuff during the week alone at home. I used some leftover roast chicken for this salad.

Vietnamese chicken salad

4 bird's eye chiles, chopped (use less and seeded if you want less heat)
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 tbsp sugar
1 & 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 & 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 & 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 & 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium onion, finely sliced
8 ounces white cabbage, shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
7 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 cup fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
A handful of Vietnamese mint leaves, shredded

1. In a bowl, combine the chiles, garlic, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce, oil and onion. Stir with a spoon and set aside for half an hour or so.
2. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, carrot, chicken breast, coriander leaves and Vietnamese mint leaves. Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss to combine. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson

Som tam

I made Som tam using the regular pestle and mortar we have at home, and I wish I could use the large version that would be perfect for making this dish.

Som tam (Green Papaya Salad)

6 ounces of green papaya, peeled and shredded
1 tomato, cut into small wedges
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/3 cup green beans
2 tbsp dried shrimp
2 Thai bird's eye chillies
Fresh lime juice
Thai fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Palm sugar

1. Using pestle and mortar, pound the garlic and chillies until they form a smooth paste.
2. Add the dried shrimp and pound until the pieces are broken up.
3. Add 2-3 teaspoons of palm sugar. Pound to a paste.
4. Add peanuts and lightly pound until they are broken to tiny pieces.
5. Add the green beans and pound until they split and lightly bruised.
6. Add papaya and tomato and pound on them. Pound until the papaya strands soften up a bit and the tomato crushed and release the juices.
7. Add a couple of teaspoons of fish sauce and a couple of teaspoons of lime juice. Use a large spoon to help flip things over and scrape down the sides of the mortar. Keep pounding and flipping for a few seconds.
8. Taste and add more lime juice, fish sauce or palm sugar as needed.

Original recipe shared by Leela.

Kerabu mangga

This dish was inspired by the delicious Kerabu Mangga at The Chicken Rice Shop. A must-order dish whenever I eat there.

Kerabu Mangga

3 green mangoes
2 Kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp dried shrimps (soaked)
1 small handful groundnuts
2 birds eye chillies (chopped)
2 tsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 tbsp sugar

1. Dry toast the shrimps and groundnuts in a pan and set aside.
2. Peel and grate the mangoes.
3. Slice the lime leaves thinly.
4. Prepare the sauce by mixing the lime juice and sugar until the sugar dissolve. Add in the fish sauce.
5. Mix all the ingredients together.