Vietnamese salad, or goi, can be made with a variety of vegetables (papaya, cucumber, long green beans). The most common is using an unripened papaya known as goi du du.
For this salad:
1 English Cucumber (less watery and firmer than regular cucumbers)
5-8 Grape Tomatoes
2 Springs of Cilantro
1 Spring of Vietnamese Basil
1 Thai Chili Pepper
For the dressing:
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tablespoon Chile Paste
4 Teaspoons Sugar
1-2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce (Nguoc Mam)
1/3 Cup Water
1/4 of a lime
1. Cut the cucumber thinly into about 2″ long sections, or use a peeler (looks like a wavy vegetable peeler). Cut the grape tomatoes in half. Diagonally cut the chili pepper into thin slices. Finely chop the cilantro and basil and mix into salad.
2. For the sauce, use another bowl. Put the chili paste, crushed garlic (use mortar and pestle or a press), sugar, and water into the bowl. Mix the ingredients, and then add the fish sauce to taste. Squeeze in lime juice. The sugar, chili paste, and fish sauce can all be adjusted to taste.
3. Mix the sauce with the salad evenly.
