Ingredients
For salad:
0.5kg prawns
100gm green papaya
1 carrot
1 cucumber
1 small shallot
A bunch of coriander
A bunch of sweet basil
20gm roasted peanuts, skinned and crushed lightly
For the Nuoc Cham sauce:
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp fish sauce,
½ tsp minced garlic
Red-hot chili peppers as per taste
Method
Nuoc Cham sauce
1. In a small bowl dissolve sugar in water
2. Add the lemon juice and fish sauce. Taste and add more fish sauce or lemon juice if needed.
3. Add minced garlic and chili pepper to your preferred level of spiciness.
Salad
1. Steam the prawns for 10 minutes, till opaque, then de-shell and de-vein them.
2. Cut the green papaya, carrot, cucumber in julienne style. Leave out the soft core of the cucumber.
3. In a medium bowl mix together the carrots, cucumber, sweet basil and coriander then add 4 tbsp of the Nuoc Cham mixture. Mix well then transfer to a serving dish.
4. Place prawns, chopped shallot and crushed peanuts on top.
5. Drizzle 1 tbsp of Nuoc Cham on top.
6. Serve alongside crispy shrimp crackers (optional).
Tell us about your favourite dishes or recipes at food@gulfnews.com