Dish of Spinach & Tomato Salad
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Spinach & Tomato Salad


Burma
Serves:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 5 salad
**
25 min
Yes		 This flavorful salad is rather intense, so serving portions should be fairly small. It depends on an array of Southeast Asian pantry staples, which should be on hand in any kitchen doing SE Asian cooking.

10
10
-------
2
1
1
1/4
1/2
1/3
1/2
-------
1-1/2
oz
oz
---
t
T
T
t
T
t
T
---
T
Spinach Leaves (1)
Tomatoes, ripe
-- Seasonings
Shrimp Powder (2)
Fried Shallots (3)
Shallot Oil(3)
Chili Powder (4)
Fish Sauce (5)
Salt
Lime Juice
-- Garnish
Roasted Peanuts (6)  
Do Ahead   -  
  1. Prepare SE Asian Pantry Staples if not on hand (Notes 2, 3 & 6).
Prep   -   (15 min)
  1. Remove large stems from SPINACH (note that weight is for leaves only). Float wash and drain.
  2. Place Spinach in a sauté pan or similar. Set over moderate heat, cover and let it steam in it's own juices just until it is wilted with a cooked color (the wash water clinging to the leaves should be sufficient). Squeeze out any free water and set aside to cool.
  3. Chop Spinach coarse.
  4. Cut TOMATO into about 1/2 inch dice.
  5. Squeeze LIME JUICE.
Finish & Serve   -   (8 min)
  1. In a bowl, mix chopped Spinach and Tomatoes so they are evenly distributed, pulling the Spinach leaves apart by hand.
  2. Mix in all Seasonings items
  3. Serve cool, garnished with Roasted Peanuts if desired.
NOTES:

  1. Spinach:

      Weight is for leaves only, due to so much variation in yield from a bunch. Use mature bunches of Spinach, because "baby spinach" has little spinach flavor.

  2. Shrimp Powder:

      This is just dried shrimp run in a spice grinder very fine. Many SE Asian recipes have you soak the shrimp before pounding or processing. I consider this not needed if you have a whirling blade spice grinder. For details see our Dried Shrimp page.

  3. Fried Shallots / Shallot Oil:

      This is a "two for one" item - both made in the same easy operation. For instructions see our recipe Fried Shallots / Shallot Oil.

  4. Chili Powder:

      This is your choice, from "Thai hot" to Paprika - there is no standard hotness in Burma.I usually use Indian Reshampatti or Khandela, which are medium hot.For details see our Thai Chilis page.

  5. Fish Sauce:

      This clear liquid is as essential to Southeast Asian cuisine as it was to Imperial Rome. If you are unfamiliar with it, see our Fish Sauce - Introduction page.

  6. Roasted Peanuts:

      Dry pan roasted peanuts are far better in both flavor and texture for this use than commercial roasted peanuts are. For method see our recipe Dry Roasted Peanuts.
  7. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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