Thai cucumber salad
Thai salads often include papaya, which is hard to buy here in the UK, and pricey when it is available. So I’ve created my version using the humble cucumber for a crunchy, strong and aromatic salad topped with prawns.
Ingredients
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú green beans, cut into 2–3cm/¾–1¼in pieces
- 2 cucumbers, peeled, core removed and sliced into thin strips
- 2 medium-large tomatoes, cut in half, seeds removed and thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 150g/5½oz cooked prawns
- 60g/2¼oz roasted salted peanuts, plus 25g/1oz extra for serving
For the sauce
- 7 bird’s-eye chillies
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar
- 2 limes, juice only
- 3 tbsp fish sauce (see recipe tip)
Method
Start by blanching the green beans in boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain, run under cold water and leave to cool.
Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and red onion in a large bowl. Mix by hand. Add the prawns and peanuts and mix through.
Now put the chillies in a pestle and mortar and crush them, followed by the garlic. Add the brown sugar, lime juice and fish sauce and mix through.
Add the sauce to the salad and mix everything together. Serve with a sprinkling of nuts.
Recipe Tips
If you need this recipe to be gluten-free check the label on the fish sauce. Many are gluten free but some aren't.
