Green tomatoes are unripe, rock hard fruits. They’re usually jade green in color. When they are unavailable, make this easy Burmese salad with very firm red tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Combine the tomatoes, if you like! This recipe was adapted from Burma Superstar by Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy.
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Burmese, Southeast Asian
Keyword: green tomato
Servings: 4people
Ingredients
2tablespoonspeanut oil
1Thai or serrano chile,cut into thick rounds
¼teaspoondried chile flakes
1poundgreen tomatoes,very firm red tomatoes, and/or cherry tomatoes
½cupthinly sliced shallot
2garlic cloves,smashed flat with the blunt side of a knife blade
¼cuproasted unsalted peanuts,crushed in a mortar and pestle or finely chopped
1juicy lime,halved
Salt
1cupcoarsely chopped cilantro sprigs
Instructions
In a small saucepan, combine the peanut oil, fresh chile and dried chile. Place over medium heat and let warm for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat and let cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Cut the tomatoes into thin wedges, each about ¼-inch wide at the thickest. (With cherry tomatoes, halve or quarter each lengthwise.) Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the shallot, garlic, peanuts, chile oil, and 2 generous pinches of salt. Squeeze half of the lime (a good 1 tablespoon) over the top. Use a large spoon, or your hands, to mix well. Taste, squeezing extra lime juice on top or adding more salt. The amounts used depends on the tomatoes. (I've ended up using a total of about 2 tablespoons of lime juice and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.) When satisfied, add about ¾ cup of the cilantro, gently combine, then heap onto a rimmed serving dish. Include all the juices. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and serve.
Notes
For extra rich flavor, use semi-refined or unrefined peanut oil, such as Spectrum brand. If you’re allergic to peanuts, use 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and 1 tablespoon neutral oil such as canola oil; replace the toasted peanuts with an equal amount of unsalted roasted cashews, or 2 tablespoons of toasted and slightly crushed sesame seeds.
To choose a juicy lime, look for ones with smooth, slightly shiny skin.