Mango Kerabu Salad

Pale green mango, pink petals of torch ginger, glossy red chilies, leafy green mint, purple skin of shallots. A tangled web of colors form Malaysian kerabu salad.


Usually jazzed up with a spicy sambal, I kept the dressing simple – and less spicy - with a mix of calamansi lime, salt and sugar, and garnished with just a few strands of red chili. A light salad to munch on as an afternoon snack, or even better, a refreshing addition to fried rice (try it on turmeric or belacan fried rice), seafood curry, or grilled fish.

But don’t let my kerabu recipe limit your imagination. Add in Thai basil leaves or cilantro or lemongrass.  Strips of cucumber and crunchy bean sprouts. Thai bird’s eye chili for a fire on your tongue that will make you scream, “Kerabu, kerabu kerabu!” as you run for a glass of ice water.

Ingredients:
1 torch ginger flower bud - remove petals and slice thinly
1 raw or semi-riped green mango, shredded
4 shallots, thinly sliced
Handful of mint leaves, thinly sliced 
Red chili, thinly sliced (optional)


Dressing:
2 tbsp calamansi lime juice (or pineapple juice)
1/3 tbsp sugar
Dash of salt


Method:
Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix well with the dressing. 


Note:
If you like a spicy dressing, you can mix the salad ingredients with sambal belacan. Add some sugar and a squeeze of calamansi lime or small lime juice.