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Based off of an ancient Thai recipe, this Thai pomelo salad is bursting with flavor. It is made with an assortment of ingredients including fragrant pomelo, toasted peanuts and coconut, and fried garlic and shallots. These ingredients are then tossed with a rich sweet and sour dressing to create a really unique and flavorful Thai salad.

The first time I had this Thai pomelo salad, I was absolutely blown away by its flavors. The combination of tangy pomelo with shrimp, toasted coconut flakes, and toasted peanuts was delicious on its own. Fried garlic and fried shallots added another layer of crunchy fried umami. Then once all of the ingredients were coated with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour dressing with rich coconut milk and roasted chili paste, it was unlike any other Thai salad I'd eaten before.

This salad is indeed unique, even by modern-day Thai standards. It is based off of an ancient Thai pomelo salad recipe. More modern pomelo salads in Thailand are made with a larger assortment of herbs and the standard fish sauce, lime juice, and chili dressing. This salad is unique in that it has fewer herbs, more crunchy fried elements, and a dressing that includes coconut milk and roasted chili paste. The result is a really unique and flavorful salad that's equally fresh and fried, savory and sweet, roasted and rich.

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Salad Ingredients:
Dressing Ingredients:
Step by Step Instructions
Recipe

Salad Ingredients:

The real work of making this salad is in preparing all of the different ingredients. Fortunately most of the ingredients can be prepared ahead of time and stored. Once all of the ingredients are ready, the salad comes together in a matter of minutes.

Pomelo: Any variety of pomelo will work for this salad. However, the sweetness or sourness of the dressing may need to be adjusted according to those attributes of the pomelo you're working with. If your pomelo is very sweet, the amount of palm sugar in the dressing should be toned down. If it's more sour, you can decrease the lime juice in the dressing. For use in this salad, the pomelo should be scored and peeled, then each segment can be broken down into bite-sized pieces.
Shrimp: This recipe calls for fresh shrimp to be cooked and added whole to the salad. Modern day Thai pomelo salad recipes will often call for dried shrimp to be crushed and added as a powder instead.
Roasted Peanuts: Roasted peanuts add a delicious roasted nuttiness to the salad. They can be added whole or crushed. Follow this How To guide for roasting peanuts using the "dry frying" method.
Toasted Coconut: Toasted coconut flakes can be made in the same way that you make the roasted peanuts. Just be sure to start with unsweetened coconut flakes, and watch the pan carefully as they toast much more quickly than the peanuts do!
Fried Shallots: Fried shallots add a wonderful aroma and crunchy fried umami to this salad. The shallots should be cut in thin, even slices, then fried over medium heat until they are golden brown and crispy. Be patient, the process of frying shallots can take 20-30 minutes.
Fried Garlic: Once the shallots have been fried, you can use the same oil to fry the garlic. Simply mince the garlic, trying to make roughly even sized pieces, and fry over medium-low heat until golden brown. Frying garlic is much quicker than frying shallots, so watch carefully to ensure they don't burn!
Cilantro: The leaves of the cilantro can be added whole or coarsely chopped to this salad.

Dressing Ingredients:

The ingredients of a Thai salad dressing are often added directly to the other salad ingredients, without making a distinct "salad dressing". However, for this Thai pomelo salad, I prefer to mix all dressing ingredients together and taste before adding to the other salad ingredients. The dressing itself should be well balanced, leading with sourness, then sweetness, and finally a roasted rich coconut flavor.

Coconut milk: Regular, unsweetened coconut milk adds a rich creaminess to this salad dressing. Be sure to shake the can before use so that the coconut cream and tail are mixed together.
Roasted chili paste: Roasted chili paste has all of the Thai flavors combined in one paste: it's sweet, salty, fishy, and slightly spicy with a lot of delicious roasted flavor.
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional): You can add crushed red pepper flakes for additional spiciness, or you can leave them out if you prefer a more mellow salad.
Fish sauce: Fish sauce adds salt to balance out the other flavors of the dressing.
Palm sugar: Palm sugar adds sweetness to the dressing. The amount you add will depend upon the the sweetness of the pomelo you're using. If you're working with hardened palm sugar, you may need to cut it into small pieces and/or microwave it once combined with the other dressing ingredients for it to dissolve completely.
Lime juice: Lime juice adds the sour element to the dressing. Again, the amount you should add will depend upon the sourness of the pomelo you're working with.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Pomelo

Cut the top off of the pomelo. Score the thick skin approximately 6 times around the fruit. Then use your fingers to peel back the skin until it is completely removed. Use a knife to remove the remainder of the pith. Break the pomelo flesh into its segments, removing the inner membrane between segments. Then break each segment into bite-sized pieces.

2. Toast the Peanuts and Coconut

Pour the raw peanuts into a pan large enough that they will all fit in one layer. Turn the heat on to medium and allow to toast until golden brown. Stir or shake the pan regularly to prevent burning. Once the peanuts have been toasted and cooled, remove the skin. Toast the unsweetened coconut flakes in the same manner.

3. Fry the Garlic and Shallots

Pour a ¼ cup of mild-flavored oil such as canola into a small pot. Turn the heat on to medium high. Add the chopped garlic and allow to fry until it's golden brown. Remove immediately and drain on a paper towel.

After all of the garlic has been removed, add the thinly sliced shallots to the hot oil. Allow to fry until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel.

4. Make the Dressing

Mix the coconut milk, roasted chili paste, red pepper flakes, lime juice, fish sauce, and palm sugar together. Taste the dressing and adjust the flavors according to your preference, as well as to the sweetness or sourness of your pomelo. If your pomelo is very sweet, you may need less palm sugar. If your limes are very sour, you may need less lime juice.

5. Mix the Salad

Mix the pomelo segments, cooked shrimp, toasted coconut flakes, toasted peanuts, fried garlic and shallots, and cilantro leaves together in a bowl. Add the dressing and mix together. Taste again and adjust flavors as necessary. Serve immediately.

Although this Thai pomelo salad stands apart from modern day Thai salads, it's a definite winner in my book. It takes a bit of time and preparation to put together, but the result is well worth it. Each bite is rich and fragrant, and bursting with disparate flavors that somehow come together so beautifully.

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