We bought a case of mangoes this week and have been eating them every which way. The other night, I decided to make an improvised Thai-style mango salad to go with some Burmese fish (post up coming up), the combination of which prompted a confession from my husband. “You know,” he said, “I don’t really like Southeast Asian food as much as you… It would be convenient if you were German, so we could have more meat.”

Seriously?

I could understand if he’d said Italian or Mexican or Brazilian or something just a tiny bit more exciting. But then, I am biased to begin with. (I’ve had good German food, but it’s just not what immediately comes to mind as one’s cuisine of choice, especially if one has no connection to Germany in the first place.)

But, yes, that he’s not a huge fan of the spicy, sweet, sour flavors of SE Asia is not news to me. Nevertheless, I think he enjoyed this mango salad, though he probably could’ve done without the chili peppers. :P

Southeast Asian Mango Salad
Serves 2 as a side dish

A Thai-style mango salad is usually made with green mangoes. This improvised version I made with a less-ripe regular mango, which is a little more crisp but still sweet. It’s inspired by a green apple and mango salad I had at Malaysia Kopitiam in DC.

1 unripe mango (or green mango)
1 green apple (optional)
1/8 red onion, cut into thin slices
1-2 Thai bird chilies, sliced (remove seeds if you like it less spicy)
1 scallion, cut into 2 inch pieces and thinly sliced lengthwise
handful of cilantro, torn or chopped
1 Tbsp of fried shallots
3 Tbsp nuoc cham sauce
1 lime wedge (optional)

1. Slice the mango into strips of desired thickness. (I like mine in small wedges, mostly because I’m lazy, but you can also julienne it.) If using the green apple, slice that similarly.

2. Mix the strips of mango and apple (if using) with the sliced onion. Garnish with Thai bird chilies, scallions, cilantro, and shallots.

3. Right before serving, add the nuoc cham sauce to the salad and toss everything together. If desired, add an extra squeeze of lime.