Simple Nonya Salad - Heavenlicious!

 

When I was in my teens I did not take to vegetables. However, now I love my greens!
I take meat very sparingly. Maybe over the years I have grown to love animals so much that I am almost a vegetarian!

I love basil leaves and mint! I remember how mama had made some dried sambal chilli and eaten them with fresh mint leaves. You take a leave and pinch a little sambal chilli and eat it. Simple! This is also now my favourite. However, now I offer basil leaves on the platter. Basil is slightly sweet and fragrant. I often serve this as an appetiser whenever I invite my guests for a meal. Now they too are beginning to enjoy this simple and heavenlicious nonya salad! Best of all, these two greens are herbs. Mint is extremely good for sore throat and cough. Helps to improve the voice when singing! (Now you know why I sing so well....hee! hee!)

If my readers are game to try, here is the recipe for making the dried sambal chilli.

INGREDIENTS
200 grams of dried prawns
two stalks of lemon grass
eight medium sized fresh red chillis
a handful of chilli padi or small red chillies
about 15 shallots

Salt and sugar to taste

METHOD

1. Soak the dried prawns for half an hour in water,
so as to get rid of excessive saltiness and to
soften the prawns.

2. Grind the shallots, and lemon grass together. Grind the chillis. Seperate.

3. Heat some oil in the work. Add the shallots and lemon grass first.
Fry till fragrant. Then add the chilli and fry till the fragrance
fills the kitchen.

4. Add the dried prawns and fry till fragrant.

5. Serve with mint and basil leaves. Excess can be stored in a container
and refrigerated.

Bon appetit! Buon appetito! Sedap makan! Enjoy your salad!

Gan Chau