Not-So-Green Mango Salad
When I want to find ripe mangoes - lush, juicy, almost overripe mangoes, in fact - the Mrs. Robinsons of mangoes - all the shelves seem to carry are hard, tart, green mangoes.
But when I’m looking for tart, sharp green mangoes - more a vegetable than a fruit, clear and refreshing like citrus - the shelves are full of fragrant, sweet, tender mangoes that probably don’t even exist except for those times when I’m searching for the green ones.
Why do mangoes mock me so?
Whatever the reason, that’s my excuse for bringing you a not-so-green mango salad today, instead of the Burmese green mango salad Dave and I had intended to create. Made with mangoes that were somewhat unripe, firm and tasty without the dripping lushness or sharp tanginess of either extreme, this salad pops with fish sauce and sesame oil, sharpened with lime juice, and it has the satisfying crunch of raw red cabbage.
Not-So-Green Mango Salad
2 mangoes (green or verging towards unripe, at least), julienned
1 head red cabbage, julienned
6 hungarian wax peppers or similar green chilies, minced
3 shallots, minced
1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste
1 tsp sesame oil, or to taste
1 tsp palm sugar, or to taste
4 limes worth of lime juice, or to taste
Stir all ingredients together. Optionally, you can add in some shrimp paste or ground tiny dried shrimp. Enjoy!
September 4th, 2007 at 11:30 am
I kind of like the idea of not using totally green mangoes, but I know what you mean, I feel like I’m constantly being mocked by mangoes, and avocadoes too!
September 4th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
This sounds fantastic! We have been going bonkers with mangoes over the last few weeks. Looks like another great way to use them.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:27 am
I did a ‘true’ green mango salad — no, wait it was green papaya, the Thai standard - at home last spring and it was INedible. The mortar/pestle action is apparently really important to breaking down the upripe fruit.
September 5th, 2007 at 10:35 am
This might be a way for diabetics to have their mangoes and eat them, too. Ripe ones are a no-no.
September 7th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
I love the colors of your salad, and it’s so good with a sprinkle of tiny ground dried shrimp! :)
September 13th, 2007 at 9:29 am
green, mostly ripe, gloriously ripe… you sorta can’t go wrong with mangos, can you? Looks great - I will certainly try it soon.
September 17th, 2007 at 6:00 am
YUM! So I’m picturing this with the slighly smooshie mango, as I’ve never had the almost unripe kind and I’m still drooling. Love, love, LOVE the idea of pairing the mango with the red cabbage!
And what a gorgeous salad.. those colors just pop. =)
xoxo