Destination
Phuket
The story
Khao yum ("tossed rice") is southern Thailand's most colorful salad and a Sunday-lunch specialty: cold cooked jasmine rice (or coloured rice, dyed with butterfly pea flower for blue or turmeric for yellow) piled in the middle of a plate, surrounded by small mounds of finely-chopped raw vegetables and herbs — pomelo segments, grated coconut, dried shrimp, minced ginger, minced lemongrass, minced kaffir lime leaves, long beans, bean sprouts, mint and coriander. Diners toss everything together at the table with a spoonful of budu — a specifically southern Thai fermented anchovy sauce mixed with palm sugar and lime — into a bright, textured, herbaceous rice salad. Sold at every southern Thai restaurant.
Method
Cook jasmine rice. If making coloured rice: brew butterfly pea flowers in the rice water for 10 minutes before cooking (for blue) or add 1 tsp turmeric (for yellow). Cool completely.
If using dried coconut, toast in a dry pan 3 minutes until pale gold.
Chop all toppings very fine. Arrange each in a small pile on a plate or in small bowls.
In a small saucepan, combine budu, palm sugar, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, shallots, galangal and water. Simmer 15 minutes until slightly reduced. Strain through a sieve. Off the heat, stir in fresh lime juice. Cool.
Pile cooled rice in the middle of a large flat plate. Arrange the toppings in small mounds around the rice — each in its own colour wheel.
Divide the budu dressing between small dishes at each place setting.
Diners spoon dressing over the rice and vegetables and toss with a spoon or their hands, mixing everything into a bright, colourful salad.
Serve with extra chili flakes and lime wedges. Best eaten within 30 minutes of tossing.
Tips
- Budu is the flavour marker. Southern Thai fermented anchovy sauce. Fish sauce is a passable substitute but different in character.
- Chop toppings small and uniform. Aim for a fine chop so eaters get a bit of everything in each spoonful.
- Toss at the table, not in advance. Pre-tossed khao yum wilts.
- Pomelo is essential. The fresh citrus-fruit crunch is the signature. Pink grapefruit is the substitute.
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