Salad Recipes Archives

Green Mango Salad with Puffed Fish (ยำมะม่วงปลาฟู; yam ma muaang bplaa fuu)

Yam ma muaang bplaa fuu, green mango salad with snakehead fish grilled, air-dried, then lard-fried until puffed. Jeeb Bunnag, 1933.

ไตปลาทรงเครื่อง ; Spicy Salad of Grilled Tiger Prawns, Mackerel, Lemongrass and Aromatics with Infused Fermented Fish Innards Dressing

Spicy Salad of Grilled Tiger Prawns, Mackerel, Lemongrass and Aromatics with Infused Fermented Fish Innards Dressing (ไตปลาทรงเครื่อง ; dtai bpla sohng khreuuang)

If we could strip away the spices, the seasonings, the vegetables and the herbs from savory dishes we could uncover their naked flavor profile core. There, we would encounter a strong savory-umami, sometimes coupled with other basic elements of smoke and fat. This flavor core is, for us humans, the sought-after taste of protein; our first sip of mother’s milk, and the primal experience of burned game meat on the fire. Today we would like to highlight a powerhouse for umami creation: the fermentation process. We will focus on fermented fish innards from southern Thailand (dtai bpla ไตปลา), one of about a dozen fermented products used in the country. We will show you how chefs for the capital’s elite, as early as or, before the reign of King Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai (Rama II, 1767-1824), harnessed its wild nature and created a dish similar to what we present today - a salad with infused fermented fish innards dressing.

c1890 Fresh roselle salad with acid-cured shrimp (ยำผลกระเจี๊ยบ อย่างท่านผู้หญิงเปลี่ยน ภาสกรณ์วงศ์ ร.ศ.๑๐๘ ; yam phohn gra jiiap;)

Mussel Salad (ยำหอยแมลงภู่; yam haawy maae lohng phuu)

Yam haawy maae lohng phuu, mussels tossed with lemongrass, kaffir lime, and toasted coconut. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's Salad Recipes, 1949.

Enhanced Fried Garlic with Bird's Eye Chilies and White Peppercorns (กะเทียมเจียวรสสูง; grateam jiaao rot suung)

Enhanced Fried Garlic, garlic pounded with bird's eye chilies and white peppercorns, fried in lard as a universal flavor enhancer. From Mom Ying Supha, 1949.

Snap Bean and Yardlong Bean Salad with Duck (ยำถั่วแขกถั่วฝักยาวกับเนื้อเป็ด; yam thuaa khaaek thuaa fak yaao gap neuua bpet)

Snap Bean and Yardlong Bean Salad with Duck combines two bean varieties with Chinese-style roasted duck and transparent shrimp. From Maawm Ying Soophaa's 1949 royal cuisine manuscript.

Yam Sohm Choon Mango Salad with Sweet Pork Condiment, Fermented Shrimp Paste, Shallots, and Crispy Deep-Fried Fluffy Fish (ยำส้มฉุน ; yam sohm choon)

Yam sohm choon is a sour green mango salad served with grilled fermented shrimp paste; roughly chopped shallots; sweet pork condiment, deep-fried fluffy grilled catfish and seasoned with fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice and topped with deep-fried dry chilies cut into small pieces. If you follow Thai movies and TV dramas, you probably remember Sohm Choon, the adorable boy ghost character from the period romance movie Reun Mayura (1997), which was a love story between a beautiful woman and a handsome man living in different periods of time.

Gravid Female Sea Crab and Egg Roe Salad with Dried Squid, Cucumber and Roasted Peanuts (ยำนางปู; yam naang bpuu)

Gravid Female Sea Crab with Roe Salad features crab meat, roe, and roasted peanuts in a balanced sour-sweet-salty dressing. From Princess Supha's 1949 royal cookbook.

ยำผิวส้มส้า ; Salad of bitter orange peels (sohm saa)

Salad of bitter orange peels, shrimp, poached pork belly and pork skin, roasted peanuts, golden deep-fried crispy shallots and garlic with sweet and sour tamarind dressing.
(ยำผิวส้มซ่า ; yam phiu sohm saa)

This salad recipe is adapted from the book “Maae Khruaa Huaa Bpaa” (แม่ครัวหัวป่าก์), published in 1971 as a memorial for Jao Jaawm Phit (เจ้าจอมพิศว์). Jao Jaawm Phit was the daughter of Thanpuying (Lady) Plean Passakornrawong, who was a pioneer of noble Thai cuisine.

Passion Fruit Flower Salad (ยำดอกเสาวรส; yam daawk sao wa roht)

Passion Fruit Flower Salad, a delicate mix of floral elements with shredded pork, shrimp, and toasted coconut. From Jeeb Bunnag's 1933 Cookbook of Rice Companion Recipes.

Yam Naem Khao Thot Recipe
Spicy Salad of Curried Rice Croquettes, Fermented Pork, Ginger and Peanuts
(yam naaem khaao thaawt)
สูตรทำยำแหนมข้าวทอด

The dish was introduced to me by a street vendor in forsaken part of town some twenty years ago. Auntie Yai was a true character. She was wearing intensive makeup and I still remember her talkative hilarious manner. I and other customers waiting in line were regularly subjected to nonstop "interrogations" or "interviews". I must admit I enjoyed the peek into other people lives while waiting over an hour for her mouth watering curried rice croquettes. I loved how the pungent, vibrant swirl of ginger was setting off the fermented pork sourness just perfectly, how the nutty crunch of those peanuts was balanced by the vivid tone of fresh herbs.

The Earliest Printed Recipe for Papaya Som Tum (ส้มตำมะละกอ; sohm dtam ma la gaaw)

Sohm dtam ma la gaaw, the first printed Siamese recipe for som tum — a Central Thai papaya salad with dried shrimp. Tamra Khraawp Lo:hk, 1929.

Khaao man sohm dtam and the first-ever recorded recipe for papaya salad (ข้าวมันส้มตำ)

Luang Prabang Style Koi Fish Salad Recipe (Koi Pla)
(gaawy bplaa nin luang prabang ; สูตรทำก้อยปลานิลหลวงพระบาง)

A marvelous Luang Prabang style fish salad recipe (Koi Pla), which is very easy to prepare and even though it looks simple, its flavors are complex and clever. Fresh fish fillet is sliced into thin strips which are quick blanched in lemongrass infused boiling water - a cooking method that presenting it’s natural flavors with an uplifting citrusy notes. The white fish slices are then mixed with, deep golden brown caramelized mix of fried garlic, shallots and lemongrass, which are not just visually pleasing but also add a unique sweetness and richness to the dish.

Yam of Chicken (ยำไก่; yam gai)

Yam gai: chicken simmered in coconut milk until dry, then dressed with mint, kaffir lime and green mango. Maawm Sohm Jeen, Tamra Gap Khao, 1890.

Grilled beef and mangosteen (or grape) salad with mint dressing, by Princess Jongjittanom Dissakul (ยำเนื้อย่างกับมังคุดหรือองุ่น; yam neuua yaang gap mangkhoot reuu angoon)

This grilled beef salad with luscious mangosteen (or grapes) is seasoned with a crisp, cooling dressing of fermented shrimp paste and mint. The mangosteen’s tropical character – a flavor redolent of many other fruits – dominates its fruity essence and is a perfect complement to both the grilled meat and the lingering, sour-salty-sweet, minty dressing. Furthermore, citrusy notes of thinly sliced lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, coupled with richness of thickened coconut cream, unite the caramelized, meaty elements with the dish’s fruity spectrum.

Small Salad (ยำเล็ก; yam lek)

Yam lek, a Thai-Muslim vinegar-dressed salad with cucumber, mint, and bruised bird's eye chili. From the Islamic Cookbook, 1933.

Shan-Style Asian Pennywort Salad (ผักหนอกโก้; Phak Naawk Goh)

This Shan-style salad exemplifies both technical and compositional simplicity. The salad is prepared using a vigorous hand-squeezing technique, known as go:h (โก้) in the Shan language. This blending method, which bruises the ingredients and releases their aromatic moisture, is often used to pair the sharp taste of medicinal fresh herbs – which can carry an immediate bitterness and a certain level of astringency – with earthiness and tartness.

Sea Crab Phlaa with Crisp-Fried Potato (พล่าปูทะเล; phlaa bpuu tha laeh)

Sea crab phlaa dressed sour-sweet with pounded garlic and chili, tossed with flower-cut cucumber and topped with fried potato. From Puang Bunnag, 1931.

Phla of Fresh Transparent Shrimp (พล่ากุ้งฝอยสด; phlaa goong faawy soht)

Phlaa goong faawy soht, raw transparent shrimp dressed whole and unpeeled with mint, from Maawm Sohm Jeen's Tamra Gap Khao, c. 1890.

Angel Visiting the Chamber: A Salad of Pomelo, Pork Skin and Shrimp with Chili Jam Dressing, circa 1920s (ยำนางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง; yam naang faa yiiam haawng)

The name of this dish, yam naang faa yiiam haawng (ยำนางฟ้าเยี่ยมห้อง), translates to ‘Angel Visiting the Chamber Salad’ in English. This celestial salad, which originated in the 1920s, is a playful chili jam-based salad that combines the textural gradients of pomelo, with its citrusy bursts, chewy cooked pork skin, and the sweet and slightly resilient cooked shrimp meat. The pomelo’s citrusy notes are further amplified with thinly sliced lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves sliced into hair-thin juliennes. I like to adjust the sourness and sweetness of the chili jam-based dressing based on the acidity of the pomelo. As our aim is to achieve a final sour-salty and sweet flavor profile, a sour-salty dressing is suggested if the pomelo is sweet, while a salty-sweet dressing pairs better with a sour pomelo.

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