Sorry, it has been a while. Life gets in the way.

This was part of a really quick dinner I had nearby my home. The dish is a very traditional Thai salad originated from the royal palace, hence a Central Thai cuisine. Most people would associate “Thai salad” with the Northeastern varient, profusely using lots of green papaya and fermented condiments. This is not the case.

Known in Thailand as Pla Goong (Prawn Mixed with Spices), the dish offers plenty of herbs: lemongrass, keffir, mint, shallot, tamarind, and red chilli. When mixed together, it gives a distinctive sourness from lime, sweetness from palm sugar, and a bit of saltiness from fish sauce. Definitely, this is also spicy from the chilli. It is almost always eaten with white rice, unless you are brave enough to eat straight from the dish; you will need something else to “cut” the palate with something more bland, such as omelette or a clear bowl of soup. Of course, the main protein is prawn, where this time round, it is cooked and grilled prior to be mixed with the rest.

I am not sure if this is even served abroad, away from Thailand at all, but given the current advancement in logistics and widespread of ingredients and condiments, this could be possibly created anywhere in the world, when all ingredients are there.

The greatest thing about this dish is it does not make you feel full, but you will be energised and relaxed in the stomach, thanks to all the herbs.

Until next time :-)