Recipe: Vietnamese-style Shrimp and Cabbage Salad

Something we had for dinner on Friday...

Vietnamese-style Shrimp and Cabbage Salad (for 4)

Dressing:

1/3 Cup rice vinegar

2 Tablespoons nam pla

Juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 fresh red chilli, minced (I keep the seeds in for more heat)

Shrimp:

some peanut oil (~2 tablespoons)

some hot chilli oil (~ 1 teaspoon)

1 clove minced garlic

dash (or three) nama shoyu

~20 shrimp, peeled, deveined (leave tails on)

1 bunch scallions, white parts, chopped into 1" pieces

Salad:

1 bunch scallions, green parts, finely chopped

1 mango, peeled and julienned

1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienned

2 Cups finely shredded Napa cabbage

2 Cups finely shredded red cabbage

1/2 a big daikon, peeled and julienned

1/2 Cup fresh mint leaves

1/2 Cup fresh cilantro leaves

Combine the vinegar, lime juice, nam pla, brown sugar, and chilli in a small bowl and stir until the brown sugar dissolves. Keep aside.

Heat the oils in a stir-fry pan and when hot, add the garlic, briefly stir-frying until fragrant (~10 seconds), then add the shrimp and 1 1/2" scallion pieces, a few dashes of nama shoyu, and stir-fry until the shrimp are at least cooked through and pink (~4 minutes) -- or, if you're like 

me and like them a little more cooked, until the garlic is browned and some of the shrimp look almost grilled (~6 minutes).

In a large bowl, toss the finely chopped green scallion parts, mango, bell pepper, cabbages, daikon, mint and cilantro with most of the dressing.  Divide the salad among four plates/bowls.  Top with the stir-fried shrimp and white scallion parts.  Drizzle a bit of the remaining dressing over each plate/bowl.  This would be good served with lime wedges.