Food Talk: Thai salad in Navratra menu

A vast majority of people in our country observe the nine-day plus period of Navratras as ritual fasting. Some eat once a day, others skip both meals and sustain themselves with fruits and nuts, and maybe a glass of milk. We, however, have never been able to keep up with family and friends and lapse into a ‘prohibited’ cereal-based snack or a mini-meal that eschews fish, fowl and flesh ordered on the sly.

During a recent visit to Thailand, we encountered a mind-blowing range of salads that appeared just right to include in the 21st century Navratra menu. We, in India, seldom appreciate a salad while in the western world, it is treated as a separate course. But it is in Thailand that creating a salad has been raised to a fine art. The Thai are known for their skill in ‘carving vegetables’, especially raw papaya. Very thin strips of the fruit are combined with bamboo shoots and most of these salads using seasonal fruits do away with the meaty stuff. Let us not forget that Buddhism was transmitted to Thailand — the Kingdom of Siam, as it was known then — and there is a strong tradition of vegetarianism not only in the monasteries, but also among the laity.

What took our breath away was a sweet corn-papaya-tender coconut trio that was enticingly colourful, delightfully crunchy and exceptionally refreshing. This salad came with some sprouts but these did not overpower the basic ingredients, nor did the garnish, provided by a litchi-like fruit. We think one can do wonderful things with this salad. You could add water chestnuts, crushed peanuts and a thin glaze of sesame oil laced with honey.

A word of caution: don’t be tempted by the bird’s eye chilli that is sprinkled on Thai salads. It packs an explosive punch, far beyond its size. Most Thai salads have a soy sauce-based dressing but you may easily replace it with palm jaggery-based molasses.

Sweet corn, tender coconut and papaya salad

Ingredients

Papaya (unripe, sliced thin) 1 kg

Sweet corn kernels 400 gm

(you may use corn on the cob

and chop it for salad)

Tender coconut with cream 1 large

(should yield 200g of coconut cream and soft flesh)

Bean sprouts A handful

Water chestnuts Half a cup

(chopped, optional)

Sweet bell pepper Half

(yellow/red, sliced thin)

Peanuts Half a cup

(fried and pounded or crushed)

Lime juice 1 tsp

Chilli flakes ½ tsp

Salt To taste

Palm jaggery molasses 1 tbsp

Sesame oil 1 tbsp

Method

Clean and wash all ingredients before cutting or chopping. Put together sliced/chopped papaya, sprouts, sweet corn kernels (can be steamed or boiled, as per choice), bell pepper and coconut flesh, along with coconut cream in a big bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle over with pounded peanuts and drizzle 1 tsp of sesame oil. Add water chestnuts, if using. Evenly distribute the palm jaggery molasses all over the salad. Sprinkle salt and chilli flakes. Adjust seasoning, squeeze lime juice and serve at room temperature.