Sides and Salads Recipes - Rice Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 350g/12oz/3 cups cooked rice

• 1 Asian pear, cored and diced

• 50g/2oz dried shrimp, chopped

• 1 avocado, peeled, stoned (pitted) and diced

• 1/2 medium cucumber, finely diced

• 2 lemon grass stalks, finely chopped

• 30ml/2 tbsp sweet chili sauce

• 1 fresh green or red chili, seeded and finely sliced

• 115g/4oz/1 cup naked (sliced) almonds, toasted

• small bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

• fresh Thai sweet basil leaves, to garnish

For the dressing:

• 10ml/2 tsp shrimp paste

• 15ml/1 tbsp palm sugar (jaggery) or light muscovado (brown) sugar

• 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn into small pieces

• 1/2 lemon grass stalk, sliced

Serves 4-6

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Method:

1. To make the dressing, put 300ml/1 1/2 cups water in a small pan with the shrimp paste, sugar, kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass.

2. Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, then bring to boiling point and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl and set aside until cold.

3. Put the cooked rice in a large salad bowl and fluff up the grains with a fork Add the Asian pear, dried shrimp, avocado, cucumber, lemon grass and sweet chili sauce. Mix well.

4. Add the diced chili, flaked almonds and chopped coriander to the bowl of rice salad and toss well to combine.

5. Divide the salad among four to six individual bowls, garnish with Thai basil leaves and serve with the bowl of dressing to spoon over the top.

Note: The sky's the limit with this recipe. Use whichever fruits and vegetables, and even leftover cooked shellfish or roasted meats, are at your disposal, then simply mix with cooked rice and pour over the fragrant dressing. Canned tuna also works well in this salad.