Serves : 3, for a meal
Ingredients for the Salad:
- Carrot – 1, julienned or grated
- Cucumbers – 2, sliced into half-moons
- White radish – 1, julienned or grated
- Red and yellow bell pepper – ½ each, julienne
- Green pepper – 1, julienne
- Bean sprouts – ½ cup
- Iceberg Lettuce – ½, sliced
- Fresh Mint leaves – ½ cup
- Fresh Basil – ½ cup
- Uncooked Rice vermicelli or Rice noodles – about 60 grams
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – 2, cut into thin strips and marinated in salt, pepper, 2 squished garlic flakes, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- Roasted peanuts – 2 tablespoons, for garnish
- Roasted white sesame seeds – 2 tablespoons, for garnish
- Roughly chopped Coriander – ⅓ cup
Ingredients for the Peanut Dressing:
- Sesame oil – 2 -3 tablespoons
- Well roasted Peanuts – ⅓ cup, full
- Fish Sauce – 1-2 tablespoons
- Jaggery powder – 1-2 tablespoons
- Vinegar – 2 tablespoons
- Garlic flakes – 5
- Bird’s eye chillies – 4
- Pepper powder – ¼ teaspoon
- Salt to taste
Method:
- Toss the marinated chicken thighs into a pan, put the lid on and cook until the chicken is well-done and just about moist. Set aside to cool.
- To a small blender jar add all the dressing ingredients with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and blend to a paste. Add more oil only if required. You should have a thick sweet, sour and spicy dressing.
- Prepare the rice vermicelli by bringing to a boil, a large saucepan with mildly salted water. Toss in the vermicelli and cook for a couple of minutes until done. Drain under cold water. While the vermicelli is still hot pour over a tablespoon of sesame oil and gently toss around. Set aside
- To a large enough bowl add all the veggies, mint, basil, coriander, prepared chicken and rice vermicelli.
- Pour over as much dressing as required to coat all the veggies, chicken and rice vermicelli.
- Toss well, sprinkle over the roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and serve.
Notes:
- Substitute:
- Chicken – roasted dry shrimp broken into bits, slices of pan-fried tofu
- Ensure that the veggies are devoid of any residual water after washing them. That way the dressing will stick well to the salad.
- Always taste the dressing before adding it to the salad to help adjust the seasonings.