One of my favorite Bangkok eateries is Harmonique - down a little soi next to the General Post Office on New Road. It was here that I had my first Pomelo Salad which inspired me to create this version. It is one of our most requested dishes.
Pomelos are those big yellow-green grapefruit looking balls found in the supermarket. They are called Jeruk Bali or Jeruk Bangkok. Be sure to pick a heavy one so you don’t end up with dry segments that get thrown away. The pink meat variety makes this salad a visual delight, while the white is also tasty. The important point is to have sweet succulent segments. Sometimes the market peels away most of the thick skin so you can see what you are getting. If I am going to serve this within a few days that is what I buy.
Pomelo Salad
Serves 2-4
Dressing :
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbl. tamarind juice
- 3 Tbl. palm sugar, grated
- 2 Tbl. fish sauce (Thai type), or soy sauce
- 4 Tbl. lime juice or lemon juice or a combination of the two
- cayenne to taste
Salad:
- 1 cup shredded fresh coconut
- 1 Tbl. oil of your choice ( I like cannola)
- 2 Tbl. thinly sliced garlic
- 1 peeled good sized pomelo, seeded and with the separator skins taken off - try to keep the segments as large as possible
- 1 Tbl. torn mint leaves
- 1 Tbl. torn coriander leaves plus some for garnish
- Optional: 24 cooked shelled shrimp or 2 pieces baked tofu cut into cubes.
Directions :
Put all the dressing ingredients into a small sauce pan and boil until it is a little thickened - 10 to 15 minutes on low heat. Set the dressing aside to cool.
Toast the shredded coconut in a wok or ungreased frying pan until golden brown and crisp. This must be done with constant stirring so it doesn’t burn. Set aside to cool.
Heat the oil in the wok or pan you just did the coconut in, add the garlic and fry. This also requires careful attention. Fry the garlic until it is very brown and crisp but doesn’t burn. Take it out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add more oil if necessary during the frying.
Break the pomelo segments up into large bite sized pieces. Put in a salad bowl with the mint and coriander leaves. Add the cooled dressing and shrimp or tofu if you are using them and toss. (You can hold the salad up to this point in the fridge for hours.) Just before serving sprinkle the salad with the fried garlic and toasted coconut and some coriander leaves for garnish. Serve immediately so that the coconut and the garlic remain crunchy. Toss at the table.
Note :Left overs are wonderful the next day but the coconut and garlic will no longer be crunchy.
If you can’t find bottled tamarind juice buy the paste and add water so it is the consistency of milk. If the paste has seeds in it, strain before using.
All recipes are available on the Bali Advertiser website in both English and Indonesian versions. You can easily copy and paste and print. Paste as unformatted text.
Indonesian Version:
Selada dengan Jeruk Bali
Untuk 2-4 orang
Bahan-Bahan :
Saosnya :
- ¼ cangkir + 1 Tbl. jus buah asam
- 3 Tbl. gula merah diparut
- 2 Tbl. saos ikan (Thai) atau kecap asin
- 4 Tbl. jus jeruk nipis atau jus lemon, atau campuran keduanya
- bubuk cabai kering (sedikit)
Selada :
- 1 cangkir kelapa diparut panjang
- 1 Tbl. minyak goreng (canola)
- 2 Tbl. bawang putih
- 1 biji jeruk bali, kupas kulitnya (yang putih di dalam) dan bijinya dibuang
- 1 Tbl. daun mint, dipotong besar
- 1 Tbl. daun ketumbar, dipotong besar dan berberapa untuk di atas selada
Variasi :
Kalau mau, bisa ditambah 24 ekor udang yang sudah masak tanpa kulit, atau 2 biji tahu open, dipotong.
Cara Membuat :
Masukkan semua bahan untuk saos kedalam pot, kemudian panaskan saos selama 10-15 menit dengan api kecil sampai saosnya sedikit kental. Kemudian dinginkan.
Panggang kelapa di dalam wajan besi/wok tanpa minyak sampai berwarna coklat dan kering. Hati-hati supaya kelapa tidak gosong, kemudian dinginkan.
Di dalam wajan besi/wok yang baru pakai tambah minyak dan goreng bawang putih sampai berwarna coklat dan kering. Juga hati hati supaya tidak gosong. Setelah matang, diangkat dan keringkan di atas kertas dapur.
Potong-potong isi jeruk bali dan taruh dalam mangkok besar. Tambahkan daun mint, dan daun ketumbar. Kalau pakai udang atau tahu, bisa ditambah sekarang. Kemudian masukkan saos dan diaduk pelan sampai rata. Setelah tercampur rata masukkan kedalam mangkok (kalau mau, bisa simpan di kulkas berberapa jam). Waktu mau makan, diatasnya di tambah bawang putih yang sudah digoreng, kelapa yang sudah dipanggang, dan sisanya daun ketumbar.
