Thai Wing Bean Salad Recipe

Thai winged bean salad with prawns

How to Make Thai Wing Bean Salad

This is a moderately spiced Thai salad dish with a delightful blend of the spicy, sweet, sour, creamy, crunchy and crispy. It is worth going out  of your way to find fresh wing beans, as substitutes such as green beans or sugar peas tend not to match the texture and taste of the original.

Wing beans may be identified by their light green colour, frilly edges, and four angled form.  Avoid blackened beans: you want bright, firm beans to obtain the best taste and texture.

Winged beans are high in vitamin C and A and folate, and low in calories, so make a healthy choice.

Thai Wing Bean Salad with Prawns -Ingredients

2 cups wing beans
2 soft boiled eggs
1/4 cup toasted fresh coconut (optional)
2 teaspoons roasted unsalted peanuts
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoons Thai roasted chili paste
2 tablespoons unsweetened tamarind paste
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon palm sugar
Vegetable oil
3-4 small dried chilies
A handful of medium sized prawns - shell and head off, tail on.
2 tablespoons shallots

Method

  • If using fresh coconut flesh, cut it into strips and dry roast in a pan until golden brown, turning frequently.
  • Slice the shallots very finely.
  • Roughly crush or chop the roasted peanuts - you are aiming for crunch so do not chop too finely.
  • Heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and fry the shallot slices until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
  • Fry the chilies in the oil until dark. Drain on kitchen paper.
  • Cut the peeled boiled eggs into quarters, lengthwise.
  • Remove the veins from the prawns.
    Cut the ends off the wing beans, then blanche whole in salted boiling water for 30 seconds. Immediately plunge the beans into an ice-cold water bath. When completely cool, slice width-wise into "stars" of approximately 0.25 inches.
  • Heat the coconut milk in a frying pan until boiling. Add the prawns and cook until pink. Remove from the heat and add the tamarind paste, palm sugar, roasted chili paste, lime juice, fish sauce, peanuts (and roasted coconut flesh, if using.) Mix well.
  • Now add the wing bean slices and mix again.
  • Then plate up and garnish with the soft-boiled egg slices, fried shallots and roasted whole chilies - and enjoy with plain steamed jasmine rice and a variety of other dishes.

    Pork or Chicken Wing Bean Salad: this dish may also be made with minced pork or chicken, using the pork or chicken either to complement the prawns or as a substitute for them.

 

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