A light and tropical coconut rice salad full of shredded sour green mango, sweet blood orange wedges, lots of herbs and crunchy fried shallots.
You guys, I hate mangos.
Yep, you read that right. I. Hate. Mangos.
It’s mostly the smell. I find the floral fragrance quite pungent and off-putting. I can generally eat it if it’s already been peeled, sliced and added to, say, a fruit salad, or if it’s used as a topping on a summertime pav. But a whole, unpeeled, ripe mango? Or sinking my teeth into a mango cheek? I’ll pass, thanks.
So why am I cooking with mangoes when I can’t stand them? Because my Instagram followers chose mango over celeriac and because green mangoes are a thing and they’re delicious.
What is Green Mango?
Mangoes are native to Southeast Asia and India and can actually be eaten at various stages of ripeness. Green mangoes are unripe and sour in flavour and filled with Vitamin C.
Sour green mangos are dark green and very hard, crunchy rather than soft and juicy. This is how you know you’ve found a sour one, and not a semi-ripe mango that just hasn’t started changing colour yet.
Traditionally, sour green mangos are eaten in Thailand as a snack with a sweet and chilli dipping sauce, such as nam pla wan. In India, they’re used to make a summer drink, as green mangos help to quench thirst and reduce the effects of dehydration in intense heat.
Can you Substitute Green Mango?
I had this recipe bookmarked since winter, just waiting for mango season to come back around. I’d noticed that the green ones were less stinky, and I thought they might be similar to green papaya.
Have you ever had Thai green papaya salad? I can handle my spice, but having one made fresh for you in Thailand is sure to test your limits.
But both green papaya and green mango are the unripe versions of the golden hued fruit most people pick out. They are both tart and lack the tell-tale sweetness the ripe versions are well known for.
There might be a slight difference in flavour, but a green papaya would give this coconut rice salad the same tart taste and texture as a green mango. We’re going for crunchy, people, not juicy sweetness.
How to make the Coconut Rice Salad with Green Mango
- Cook the rice. Mix the rice with coconut milk and water, cook and spread out on a baking tray and chill until cool and ready to use.
- Prep the fresh ingredients. Shred the green mango, segment the blood orange, and chop the cucumber, chilli and herbs.
- Make fried shallots (optional). You can absolutely use store-bought fried shallots. But they are so easy to make, and so crispy when they’re fresh. And there’s plenty of time while the rice is cooling…
- Assemble. Make it pretty or just throw everything in a large bowl, mix and serve.
Love Tropical-Inspired Recipes? Try These:
- Fruit and Vegetable Quinoa Salad
- Prawn-Stuffed Avocados with Finger Limes
- Plum and Salmon Salad
- Blackened Salmon Tacos w Minted Pineapple Salsa
Coconut Rice Salad with Green Mango
Ingredients
- 300 g long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 400 ml can coconut milk, plus extra to serve
- 1 teaspoon vegetable stock
- 410 ml water
- 3 shallots
- Vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 green mango
- 1 lebanese cucumber
- 1 cup basil leaves
- 1 cup thai basil leaves
- 1 cup mint leaves
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 blood orange, segmented
Instructions
- Place the rice, coconut milk, stock and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes.300 g long-grain white rice, 400 ml can coconut milk, 1 teaspoon vegetable stock, 410 ml water
- Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, for 5 minutes. Spread the rice out on a baking tray lined with baking paper, pressing down very gently. Place the tray of rice in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or until cold or needed to assemble the salad.
- If you’re making the fried shallots: thinly slice the shallots with a sharp knife or mandolin. Place into a small saucepan and add just enough vegetable or sunflower oil to cover them. Cook over medium heat until they start to brown and crisp up, around 20 minutes, stirring frequently with a fork to separate the rings.3 shallots, Vegetable or sunflower oil
- Pour the crispy fried shallots and the oil through a strainer and into a bowl. Tip the shallots out onto a paper towel-lined plate to soak up the oil and season with salt. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, peel the green mango and using a julienne slicer, mandolin or a box grater, shred the flesh and discard the pit. Peel, deseed and slice the cucumber, roughly chop the herbs and chilli, and segment the blood orange.1 green mango, 1 lebanese cucumber, 1 cup basil leaves, 1 cup thai basil leaves, 1 cup mint leaves, 1 long red chilli, 1 blood orange
- To assemble, gently break up the cold rice into a large bowl. Spoon over some coconut milk and top with the mango, cucumber, herbs, chilli and blood orange. Gently toss to combine. Drizzle with more coconut milk, sprinkle over the crispy fried shallots and serve.
Cook along with me
Notes
Nutrition
1 Comment
What a wonderfully creative salad this is, Eff! I would have never thought of marrying all the ingredients in it, but now that I’ve seen it, it looks so appetizing. And sounds refreshing, too. It’s a great dish!