This Shan-style salad exemplifies both technical and compositional simplicity. The salad is prepared using a vigorous hand-squeezing technique, known as go:h (โก้) in the Shan language. This blending method, which bruises the ingredients and releases their aromatic moisture, is often used to pair the sharp taste of medicinal fresh herbs – which can carry an immediate bitterness and a certain level of astringency – with earthiness and tartness.
The Shan cuisine is known for its incorporation of fresh herbs and a great appreciation of the medicinal properties found in these greens. In this salad, the pennywort contributes a distinct herbal bitterness, attributed to its asiaticoside content, a triterpenoid compound that has been studied for its anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. This bitter note is tempered by the fermented soybean cake, which adds a yeast-like, earthy savoriness due to its rich amino acid profile. The tartness of the tomatoes serves to counterbalance the bitterness, while the shallots also mitigate the bitterness by adding a layer of pungency delivered by their sulfur compounds.
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The use of the go:h (โก้) mixing technique ensures that all the diverse flavors in the salad are thoroughly blended, and contributes to a well-rounded flavor profile – presenting a salad that is both intensely flavorful yet remarkably light.
Shan-Style Asian Pennywort Salad (ผักหนอกโก้; Phak Naawk Goh)
Enjoy the Shan-Style Asian Pennywort Salad (ผักหนอกโก้; Phak Naawk Goh), a straightforward dish that combines the distinct bitterness of pennywort with the earthy flavors of fermented soybean and the sharpness of shallots for a fresh, balanced meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutesmins
Course Salad
Cuisine Northern Thai Cuisine, Shan cuisine
Seasoning paste:
3dried Thai bird’s eye chili (phrik kee noo) (พริกขี้หนูแห้ง)roasted
Slice the tomatoes: Dice the tomatoes into small pieces.
Slice the pennywort: Slice the leaves of the pennywort into thin strips.
Crush the peanuts: In a mortar and pestle, roughly crush unsalted peanuts that have been shelled and roasted.
Making the seasoning mix
Grill the soybean cake: Grill one round sheet of fermented soybean cake over an open flame.
Pound the soybean cake: After grilling, pound the soybean cake in a mortar and pestle until it becomes a powder.
Mix the seasoning: Combine the soybean cake powder with dried Thai bird’s eye chilies, rock salt, peanuts, and Northern-style fermented shrimp paste.
Assembling the salad
Mix the main ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the chopped shallots, sliced tomatoes and crushed peanuts.
Add the pennywort: Add the sliced Asian pennywort to the bowl.
Add the seasoning paste: Mix in the seasoning paste you prepared earlier.
Drizzle sesame oil: Add a small amount of sesame oil for extra flavor.
Apply the hand-squeezing technique: Using your hand, mix and squeeze the ingredients. This technique helps to releases the natural moisture from the ingredients.
Keyword Thai salad (ยำ และ พล่า)
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