Mango Salad - Laos Tam Mak Muong

MANGO SALAD a.k.a THAM MAK MUONG (my Lao attempt of spelling it out)

Well I should really put this blog to use! So i'll start with my recipe for "Mango Salad" This dish is a favorite amongst my sorority sisters, it the first request I get every time we have a get together. So I always make sure I keep a mango available when I know they will be coming over! Now remember I do not measure, I go by feeling so bare with me and hopefully it turns out right for you!

let's start with what you will need;

Mortar & Pestle (see pic)

1 mango (best if it's not a sweet mango, but more greenish hard one from the asian stores like Ranch 99 or seafood city)

5-6 small cherry tomatoes (sliced in half-or any other type of tomatoes whatever the preference just gotta slice it up)

Asian Thai chili's (mild = 1-2small peppers, medium 3, spicy 4+)

1 clove of garlic unpeeled

1 lime sliced wedge

1tsp of salt

1tbsp of sugar

1 and half tbsp of fish sauce (3crab picture brand is the best!)



1tsp of crab paste (black paste)

vermicelli noodles ( the noodles in the pic are the current one's I have in my cabinet...but any vermicelli noodles will do!)

optional: PAD DEK!! mostly Lao households will have this because it doesn't taste right unless it's homemade....but not necessary, you can still get the pad dek taste with just the crab paste & fish sauce i mentioned above. (Laos people I know your saying it does not taste the same without pad dek....this recipe caters to those non-Laos people who do not have it & do not know how to make it)

alright so let's start....

1. peel your mango skin off....and start shredding the mango. There is this cool little shredder tool at the Asian store you can use to shred it....but I use the old technique, I whack the mango all around with a sharp knife (technique takes years of practice! lol) and then slice it off into shreds (better if I show you, so video coming soon)

2. once done shredding the mango put it in a bowl and put aside....then boil some water in a pot-add noodles to boiling water. (have your noodles boiling while you put together your other ingredients, don't forget to check noodles & stir)

3. as your noodles are boiling, put your clove of garlic, peppers, & salt in the mortar & start smashing away with your pestle til they are well mushed....takes about a good minute....

4. then slice up your tomatoes and throw them in the mortar

5. squeeze the lime juice out of your lime wedge and throw the wedge in the mortar as well once it's all squeezed out, add in the sugar, fish sauce, crab paste (best to get crab paste with a fork)

6. then with a spoon and the pestle slowly blend the ingredients together in the mortar....mash the juices out of the tomatoes and the lime wedge so they all mesh well together-takes a good 30secs-1min of mixing.

7. By now the noodles should be done, drain cool it off with some cold water and throw it in the Mortar, also throw in the shredded mango and mix together in a stirring/mashing motion using your spoon & pestle to mash & mix (don't do it so hard that juices are flying all over the place-use gentle motions). after about 3-4 minutes should be done, pour onto a plate and serve!!! (depending on your taste buds: you can add extra sugar-sweet, or fish sauce-salty, or lime juice-sour if you want) check out the pics!!