Kerabu Mangga (Spicy Green Mango Salad)
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Medium Green (unripe) mango, peeled and julienned — 2
- Shallots, thinly sliced — 3
- Fresh red chili, thinly sliced, or to taste — 1–2
- Dried shrimp, toasted and pounded, optional — 20 g (2 tbsp)
- Lime juice — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
- Fish sauce — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- Palm sugar or brown sugar — 10 g (2 tsp)
- Roasted peanuts, crushed — 30 g (1/4 cup)
- Fresh mint or Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) leaves, torn — a small handful
Method
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves, forming a balanced sour-salty-sweet dressing.
- Combine the julienned green mango, sliced shallots and chili in a mixing bowl.
- Add the toasted dried shrimp, if using, and pour over the dressing.
- Toss well to combine, making sure the mango is evenly coated.
- Transfer to a serving plate, scatter over the crushed peanuts and torn mint leaves, and serve immediately.
Introduction: Crisp, tart shreds of unripe green mango tossed with shallots, chili and a bright lime dressing — a refreshing salad that cuts through rich, heavier dishes.
Cultural Background: Kerabu salads are a staple of Malay cuisine, particularly in the northern and eastern states, prized for their bold combination of sour, spicy, salty and slightly sweet flavours. Using unripe green mango allows the fruit’s natural tartness to shine, making this a popular counterpart to fried or curried mains.
Tips: Choose mangoes that are firm and distinctly green, as ripe mango will be too sweet and soft for this salad. Toast dried shrimp briefly in a dry pan before pounding to bring out its aroma. Toss just before serving, as the salt and acid will draw liquid out of the mango the longer it sits.
Variations: Add thin strips of cucumber for extra crunch and coolness. Use green papaya in place of green mango for a similar, equally popular variation. Omit dried shrimp and fish sauce, using salt and a little extra lime, for a vegan version.
Storage: Best eaten fresh; the mango will soften and release liquid if stored, so prepare just before serving.
Reheating: This is a fresh, cold salad and is not intended to be reheated.
Nutrition: Approx. per serving: 120 kcal, 4 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat, 2 g fibre.
FAQs:
Q: How do I choose a good green mango for this salad?
A: Look for mangoes that are hard, uniformly green, and have no soft spots — a slightly sour, crisp bite is exactly what’s wanted here.
Q: Can I make this less spicy?
A: Yes, reduce the amount of chili or remove the seeds and membranes before slicing, which lowers the heat significantly.
Q: Is this salad vegan?
A: Not as written, due to fish sauce and dried shrimp; both can be omitted or replaced with a vegan fish sauce alternative and extra salt.
- Medium Green (unripe) mango, peeled and julienned — 2
- Shallots, thinly sliced — 3
- Fresh red chili, thinly sliced, or to taste — 1–2
- Dried shrimp, toasted and pounded, optional — 20 g (2 tbsp)
- Lime juice — 30 ml (2 tbsp)
- Fish sauce — 15 ml (1 tbsp)
- Palm sugar or brown sugar — 10 g (2 tsp)
- Roasted peanuts, crushed — 30 g (1/4 cup)
- Fresh mint or Vietnamese mint (daun kesum) leaves, torn — a small handful
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