Pomelo and Pink Grapefruit Salad

The joy of a salad is that it can be made from almost anything and it will always provide you with a healthy, colourful and fun food experience…

Every salad has its own unique flavours and textures, and this one is no different. A delicious fusion of fruity, salty, and tart flavours this vibrant salad is held together by the intense Thai dressing which just pops in the mouth.

Spicy Pomelo Salad is a very common Thai dish and had a perfect balance of hot, sour, salty and sweet, which are the essence of Thai food. Pomelo fruit known to be the largest citrus fruit and is surprisingly delicious. It tastes exactly like a grapefruit but without the bitterness or sour flavor. It isn’t particularly sweet, nor is it tart. Grapefruit in general always has a slightly bitter more acidic flavour, which when combined with the pomelo provides a perfect balance between the sweet and the sour flavours present in the salad. The coconut and nuts in the dish provide a crunchy texture, which along with the juiciness and tenderness of the fruit complete the dish.

The dressing in this salad is incredibly simple and only requires a few ingredients. The saltiness from the soy sauce and vegetarian fish sauce, citrus flavour from the lime juice and sweetness from the palm sugar come together beautifully to complete the salad.

How to cut a Pomelo:

Cutting a pomelo looks can seem difficult but the easiest way to prepare a pomelo is to cut through the skin, and then peel it away from the flesh. You can then pull the segments apart, and cut away the pith with a sharp knife. If you leave the pith, it’ll make the salad bitter. Now remove the membrane covering each segment. Once you’ve done that, it’s really easy to remove the little shreds of pomelo flesh.

.

Helpful Tips and Tricks for making the Pomelo and Pink Grapefruit Salad:

• If you are not particularly fond of Grapefruit you can make this salad with just Pomelo. You might need to adjust the dressing accordingly.
• Preparing Grapefruit takes a bit of time but it can be done well in advance. It is extremely juicy so its best to put some layers kitchen towel on the plate and them put the peeled grapefruit on it, so that it soaks up some go the water.
• You might need to add more palm sugar if your Pomelo or Grapefruit is too sharp and acidic. 
• You can serve this salad with betel leaves, as I have.
• Do not use the top part of the lemongrass stalk.
• The dressing will keep well for a couple of weeks if stored in an airtight jar in the fridge, and it is great on other salads too!

.

.

Pomelo and Pink Grapefruit Salad

Serves: 4-5 Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

Pin

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups pomelo, torn into chunks
• 1 cup pink grapefruit, torn into chunks
• 3 tbsp shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, coarsely grounded
• 3 tbsp fresh coconut, shredded and dark toasted
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, very thinly julienned
• 2" lemon grass, bottom half only, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• Fried Onions (optional)

For Dressing:

• 1.5 tbsp palm sugar
• 1.5 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp vegetarian fish sauce (optional)
• Thai red chilli, to taste

method

1. In a mortar and pestle grind the chillies into a paste, then add the palm sugar and pound until dissolved. Add soy sauce, fish sauce (if using) and lemon juice and mix well.
2. Dry roast the coconut for around 4-5 mins until it begins to turn golden-brown. Set aside to cool.
3. Do the same with the peanuts. Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin and pound or grind it roughly.
4. Add all the ingredients of the salad in a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing and toss until combined. 
5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with chopped fresh coriander leaves, fried shallot if using and garlic.

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you did, take a picture and tag me on Instagram at @poetryofspices!