Sweet & Spicy Thai Mango Salad (Som Tum Mamuang)

Refreshing Thai Mango Salad

Bursting with tropical flavors, the medley of fresh ingredients in a Thai Mango Salad will please any palate. With its harmonious blend of hot, sweet, sour and salty components, its flavor profile is otherworldly for such a simple dish. Not only is the dish simple, making it at home can be a fairly easy feat with our guided recipe. Experimenting with ingredients and preparation methods by switching up cutting and cooking styles will allow for the dish to be executed perfectly regardless.

This refreshing salad can be altered in a variety of ways to suit the tastebuds of its consumers and ingredients available at hand. Thai green mangoes are known for being as crunchy as an apple, and for its nutty flavor. Therefore, unripe mangoes can be used to recreate the same dish. Should you only have ripe yellow mangoes at hand, the sweetness of the juicy yellow mango can be balanced out with an extra squeeze of lime juice.

It is in the versatility and simplicity of this recipe that allows for easy substitution. Have a sweet tooth? Up the amount of sugar added. Palm sugar can also be replaced with brown sugar or honey. In need of a vegan or vegetarian take on the recipe? Simply remove the dried shrimp and replace the fish sauce with tamarind water, soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos. Likewise, there are alternatives for all the other ingredients.

How the ingredients are prepared could also make a difference to the end product. Instead of julienned or shredded mangoes, try cutting them into cubes. This will not only marinate and envelop every cube in the flavors of the sauce, but its contrasting textures of softness and crunchiness will start a party in every mouth.

This quick and easy salad, which has just the right balance of sweet and spicy, is bound to be a crowd-pleaser. Whether whipping up a last-minute side dish to act as a palate-cleanser or creating a healthy salad for a quick appetizer, the Som Tum Mamuang will make a delicious addition to any menu.

Frequently Asked Questions about Thai Mango Salad

1. Can I swap out the Thai green mangoes to use green papayas instead?

Absolutely! Green papayas are typically used for this dish. Replacing the Thai green mangoes with green papayas will create Som Tum, Thai green papaya salad. Just ensure that the mangoes are not overripe so that its crunchiness is retained.

2. Are there substitutes for dried shrimp?

There sure are! Any ingredient that gives the dish a punch of Umami and brine flavor would work. Try adding dried salted anchovies or even experimenting with the amount of fish sauce to flavor the salad according to your taste. For all the vegetarians and vegans, fret not. Vegetarian oyster sauce could very well be a good substitute.

Can I refrigerate and reheat the Sweet & Spicy Thai Mango Salad for consumption the next day?

The Thai Mango Salad can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to two days in an airtight container. Nuts may go soft from absorbing all the delicious goodness of the fish sauce and lime juice, so simply leave them out until the dish is ready to be served.

4. What goes well with the Sweet & Spicy Thai Mango Salad?

The simplicity of the base dressing consisting of the palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice goes well with many ingredients. It is in its versatility that a variety of ingredients such as courgettes, bean sprouts, coconut, or even protein sources like chicken or tofu can be added in.

Tips & Tricks in Creating the Perfect Bowl of Thai Mango Salad

1.         Cut the Thai green mangoes just before serving: To keep the mangoes fresh and crunchy, shred them before mixing them in with the other ingredients. Work on the other ingredients so that they can all be tossed in a jiffy once the final ingredient is prepped.

Neat trick: To further preserve the crunchiness of the mangoes, place them in an ice bath after they are shredded. Simply drain and pat them dry before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients.

2.         Prepare the ingredients ahead of time: Save time by prepping ahead. Shred the Thai mangoes, quarter the cherry tomatoes and slice the chili padi. Be sure to soak the dried shrimp in a bowl of water beforehand. This will soften them up, allowing more flavor to be released.

3.         Up the heat: For all spice lovers, try experimenting with the amount of spice added to the salad. Get an extra kick of spiciness by increasing the amount of chili padi used. Coarsely chopping them up into smaller pieces will bruise the fruit, releasing its capsaicin. You could even throw in a dash of chili flakes for a flavorful punch.

Recipe: How to Make Sweet & Sour Thai Mango Salad

Get creative with tropical fruits that you have in your fruit bowls and toss them all together to whip up a refreshing Thai Mango Salad. Have a look at our simple recipe below that leaves you with a healthy dish in under 30 minutes.