Growing up, pomelo was a treat! It was a seasonal vegetable famous during Chaturthi months and I remember eagerly waiting for the matoli to be dismantled on the night of Ganapati Visarjan to taste the pomelo I spent the prior 2 days staring at. We never had it in any recipe as such in Goa but as I grew to love international flavors, I knew there had to be a place that shows this delicious fruit its rightful place in the culinary arts. Thailand did not disappoint! This fresh and refreshing salad is my attempt to replicate Yum Som O aka Pomelo Salad. By no means do I claim this to be authentic but it is as close as I could recreate it. The sweet, spicy, tangy, bitter, and citrus notes of the ingredients, the freshness of the herbs, along with the nutty and crunchy coconut and peanuts will leave you wanting more!
What you will need:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| For the Dressing: | |
| Fish Sauce/Soy Sauce | 2 tablespoons |
| Palm Sugar | 2 tablespoons |
| Thai Chilies Finely Chopped | 2 |
| Tamarind Pulp | 1 tablespoon |
| Lime/Lemon Juice | 4 tablespoons |
| For the Salad: | |
| Pomelo Cleaned | 450 grams |
| Peanuts | 40 grams |
| Toasted Coconut | 40 grams |
| Fresh Mint | 1/4 cup |
| Fresh Cilantro | 1/4 cup |
| Jalapeno (optional) | 1 |
| Kefir Lime Leaves | 5 |
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 2
How to make it:
- Toast the peanuts and coconut until crispy and set aside. I used big coconut slices but you can use shredded toasted coconut as well, which is what is traditionally used. Set these aside.
- In a jar, add fish sauce (Tip: you can replace this with soy sauce if you want a vegetarian version), lemon juice, tamarind pulp, palm sugar (Tip: add regular sugar if you do not have palm sugar) and finely chopped Thai chilies (adjust per your spice level). Cover and shake until all the ingredients mix well. This will be the dressing for the salad.
- Clean the Pomelo by peeling the outer cover, removing the skin on each section, and saving the inside flesh.
- Finely chop Kefir lime leaves.
- Roughly chop the mint and cilantro. Cut one jalapeno (this is optional but I like the heat it brings)
- When ready to serve, toss all the ingredients with the dressing.
- Enjoy as a side, or add protein to enjoy as a main meal.