Burmese Spring Ginger Salad

Welcome to Burma! Burmese food is one of my personal favorites here in New York City. The4re used to be a small Burmese restaurant called Cafe Mingala on the Upper East Side that my family and I loved going to. Every time I went there, among my “must-haves” was always their delicious Spring Ginger Salad. It is so refreshing and light - yet succulent - that you will not even notice the lack of meat in the dish. I love this salad so much that I wanted to recreate it at home, so my family and I can enjoy it more often. Here is my take on this wonderful dish, that I am sure you and your family will love too. When you see me say 'julienned,' all I mean is cut into long, thin strips.

Ingredients:

1 small head of cabbage, julienned
1/4 cup of ginger, julienned and 1 tablespoon, grated
1 large carrot, julienned
2 tablespoons of cilantro, chopped
½ of a small yellow onion, julienned
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of peanuts, chopped
5 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons of white vinegar
5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Place the julienned cabbage, carrots and ginger in a large bowl, along with the chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Put aside.

2. Crisp the julienned onion in a non-stick pan, with a small amount of olive oil. They are ready when they look fully caramelized and crisp. Allow them to cool down and mix with the cabbage.

3. Mash the garlic cloves with the grated ginger in a mortar until it forms a thick paste. If you do not own a mortar, use your preferred blending system.

4. Place 2 tablespoons of the ginger-garlic paste in a small bowl, and add to it the white vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. This mixture is your salad dressing.

5. Add it to the ingredients in the large bowl and mix properly, ensuring that all the salad components are evenly covered.

6. Garnish each serving with some chopped peanuts and enjoy as is or with grilled tofu or chicken.