Today I will be sharing one my favorite recipes from my childhood, which I learned from my mom. The Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad with Thai herbs or Pla-Goong (พล่ากุ้ง) has a nice kick of spice and citrus. This recipe is packed with flavors and has a nice refreshing finish as well as a citrusy note from the lime… a recipe that is similar to ceviche. The secret to making this recipe is the one-of-a-kind homemade Thai Chili Jam (Nam Prik Pao), lemongrass, fresh lime juice, culantro flavor, and grilled shrimp with the shell. Leaving the shell keeps all those delicious juices in guaranteeing a much tastier and tender meat.
Hi! My name is Nattaya Worrakitpoonpol also known as Natty. I am a Chicago-based food blogger, photographer, and founder of Natty’s Pantry (@natty_s_pantry). I am of Chinese descent who was born in Thailand. I was raised with both Thai and Chinese cultures in my life.
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Natty’s Pantry
My mom is my biggest influence and inspiration. She owned a Thai-Chinese restaurant along the river. Fresh shrimp was caught by the locals and sent to her restaurant, “YIM YIM”, every morning. Some of the house specialty dishes included: simple grilled shrimp over charcoal with a mixed Thai herb salad; Pla-Goong (พล่ากุ้ง) shrimp salad infused with lemongrass, mint, lime, Thai chili and scallion; steamed water whitefish (ปลาม้า และ ปลาตะโกก) with soy sauce and ginger; shrimp with bean thread noodles in a clay pot (กุ้งอบวุ้นเส้น).
Helping my mom in the kitchen was an important part of the beginnings of Natty’s Pantry. Growing up, my household chores were to help my parents… clean dishes, set up the pharmacy shop, and cook one dish for dinner each day. In Thai culture or South East Asian culture, it is customary to have each meal together, family-style. The table is full of various plates, which we share on communal plates. We also have our own dishes to add rice and build from there. My mom always had one stir-fry dish, soup, seafood, and vegetable dish for each meal. She would always assign me one dish she wanted me to make for dinner, which has helped me to become a great cook like her.
When I moved out of the house, I continued to cook and bake. Nine years ago, when I came across the world to live in Chicago, my food interests leaned more towards other international foods. Most of my friends are from different countries which gave me an opportunity to get to know their culture and food better. One of my favorite hobbies is sharing my favorite dishes from my country with all my international friends. Each country’s pantry has a different style and roots, which is why I started sharing their stories with the world on my blog (www.nattyspantry.com). You will see influences from my friends on the blog as well as my own interpretations.
For Fab Food Chicago’s readers, I adapted this Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad recipe in 4 different ways… just for you.
- Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad
- Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad
- Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad with Chickpea and Avocado
- Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad Lettuce Cups
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Photo: @natty_s_pantry
This recipe is great for entertaining guests, potluck parties, healthy snack, light lunch, and more. It’s perfect for whatever occasion.
- For the Salad:
- 1 pound grilled shrimp with shell*, peeled (directions on how to prepare below)
- 2-3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemongrass, thinly sliced *
- 1 tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons culantro, thinly sliced
- fresh cilantro
- For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons homemade Thai Chili Jam
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Preheat the oven to high broil.
- Placing a cooling rack over some baking sheet and line with foil.
- Rinse and arrange fresh shrimp onto your prepared baking sheet.
- Bake shrimp until just cooked, about 7-8 minutes on each side.
- Peel and clean (devine), then set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together homemade Thai Chili Jam, sugar, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice until well combined.
- Add grilled shrimp, shallot, lemongrass, green onion, and culantro making sure to combine all the ingredients well together.
- Serve with lettuce, cucumber, extra culantro as needed, and fresh cilantro.
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Photo: @natty_s_pantry
- 1 square inch of tamarind paste
- 10 dried chiles
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 8 heads garlic cloves, peeled
- 5 medium shallots, peeled
- Preheat the oven to high broil.
- Arrange garlic and shallots onto the foil-lined baking sheet and bake for about 9-10 minutes; a little burn on edges would be great for the flavor.
- While the garlic and shallot are baking, prepare the tamarind sauce.
- Combine the tamarind paste with ½ cup of hot water using a spoon to break up the paste.
- Drain with a strainer, using the back of a spoon to push the mixture through the strainer; and set aside.
- Discard the remains.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pan over medium heat, for about 30 seconds.
- Add the dried chiles and cook continuously stirring, for about 1-2 minutes, making sure they don't burn.
- Remove the chiles and set aside.
- In a food processor add the cooked chiles, garlic, shallots, and 2 tablespoons of the oil in the pan.
- Blend all the ingredients until it is combined, but you can still see a little meat in the mixture.
- Transfer the mixture into the pan over medium to low heat, and fry, frequently stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- Add 2 tablespoons of tamarind pulp, and let it fry for about 4-5 minutes or until the mixture turn into a paste, and transfer to a bowl.
- Set aside until it cools down.
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Photo: @fabsoopark
- Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad recipe (first recipe above)
- 1 package (12 ounces) 8½-inch rice paper wrappers
- 6 lettuce leaves, thinly sliced
- 1 cup carrots, cut into thinly sliced matchsticks or julienne
- 2 small cucumbers, cut into thinly sliced matchsticks or julienne
- 1 small beet, cut into thinly sliced matchsticks or julienne
- fresh mint
- Follow the directions for the Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad recipe from above then set aside.
- In a large shallow plate with warm water, dip 1-2 sheet of rice paper into the warm water, let it soak until it starts to become soft, for about 15-20 seconds.
- Transfer the soft rice paper on a cutting board or a large plate. From the bottom third of the rice paper, lay down lettuce, cucumber, carrot, beet, and fresh mint leaves, then top with shrimp from the salad. The remaining dressing will be used as the dipping sauce.
- Begin rolling, tucking the bottom side and the sides in as you roll. Transfer to a plate, keep repeating until all shrimp are gone.
- Serve with remaining sauce as dressing for the salad along with fresh vegetables as a cucumber, fresh mint, carrot, and cilantro.
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Photo: @natty_s_pantry
- Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad (first recipe above)
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas. Instructions here. Feel free to substitute with canned or make ahead the night before.
- 1 avocado, cut into small cubes
- fresh carrot, thinly sliced or julienne
- fresh mint, thinly sliced or chiffonade
- fresh beet, thinly sliced or julienned
- fresh lettuce, thinly sliced or chiffonade
- fresh cilantro
- Follow the Thai-Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad recipe- peeled, cleaned and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together homemade Thai chili jam, sugar, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice until combined.
- Add grilled shrimp, shallot, lemongrass, green onion, culantro, mint, cooked chickpeas and avocado.
- Combine all the ingredients well together.
- Serve with fresh carrot, beet, cilantro, lettuce, and mint.
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Photo: @natty_s_pantry
- Thai Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad (first recipe above)
- fresh carrot, thinly sliced or julienned
- fresh beet, thinly sliced or julienned
- 1 head iceberg lettuce, crisp inner leaves, for serving
- fresh cilantro
- lime wedges
- follow the Thai-Mama Inspired Grilled Shrimp Salad recipe; peeled, cleaned and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together homemade Thai chili jam, sugar, fish sauce, and fresh lime juice until combined.
- Add grilled shrimp, shallot, lemongrass, green onion, and culantro. Combine all the ingredients well together.
- set the iceberg lettuce leaf on the platter, fill the lettuce with carrot, beet, and top with shrimp and fresh cilantro.
- Serve with a lime wedge and the remain salad.dressing.
Fab Recipe: Thai Grilled Shrimp Salad 4 Ways // Photo: @natty_s_pantry
Let me know if you make my recipes. I would love to know your thoughts. Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and on my blog.
Natty
