Thai Yum Makuea Yao
Salad with roasted eggplants
Inspired by a Japanese eggplant salad, I was curious to see if a vegetarian Thai salad could be prepared in a similar way. And now that I’ve tried it, I have to
say that yes, it certainly can. Thai “Yum Makuea Yao” (
Ingredients for two servings
- 4 Japanese eggplants
- 2 shallots
- 2 green onions
- 2 Thai chilies
- Juice of half a lime
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce or no-fish sauce
- 1 tsp palm sugar or brown sugar
- 2-3 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation
First, cut the eggplants in half and then cut the halves into three to four finger-length pieces. Then heat the oil in a shallow pan and fry the eggplant pieces in batches until they are soft and lightly browned on both sides. If you have the opportunity, you can also roast the eggplants whole on a grill and then cut them into pieces.
While the eggplants are cooling, peel the shallots and cut them into thin rings. Remove the roots from the green onions and cut them into thin rings as well. Finally, cut the Thai chilies into rings after cutting off their stems.
Next, squeeze the lime and mix its juice with the fish sauce. Then add the palm sugar and stir vigorously until it is completely dissolved.
Finally, place the cooled eggplants in a bowl together with the shallots, green onions, and Thai chilies, then pour the prepared dressing over them. After mixing everything well, you can serve your “Yum Makuea Yao” lukewarm.
