Tofu adds protein to this super-quick refreshing salad, but if you’d like to bulk it up a bit more, add some sliced raw salmon or grilled prawns right off the barbie.
Ingredients
600 gm silken tofu, cut into 3cm pieces
600 gm watermelon, cut into triangles
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved and coarsely chopped
4 small radishes, thinly sliced on a mandoline
1 cup soft herbs, such as thai basil, coriander and mint (loosely packed)
Nahm jim dressing
100 ml lime juice, plus finely grated rind of 1 lime
3-4 birdseye chillies, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 makrut (kaffir) lime leaves, stems removed, coarsely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks (white part only), finely chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp caster sugar
Method
1. For nahm jim dressing, process ingredients in a blender until smooth and season to taste.
2. Divide tofu, watermelon, cucumber and radish among serving plates, drizzle with nahm jim dressing, scatter with herbs and fried shallots and serve with lime wedges.
Maxwell Adey
Senior Food Editor & Stylist
Maxwell has always been passionate about food. Born into a restaurateur and award-winning produce farming family, he was strongly steered into pursuing a career in advertising after completing his Bachelor of Public Communication at University of Technology, Sydney. After a very short stint, he decided to enrol in Commercial Cookery at TAFE to follow his true passion. Maxwell started out working in some of Sydney’s finest restaurants (Est., Claude’s and Moon Park) which helped further his love of all things culinary and developed his technical ability to cook. Later, he was lured into the magical world of food publishing where he freelanced for ten years for notable Australian commercial and editorial brands. He has also run his own business where he sells his marinated olives, dressings and sauces at food markets and select retailers. He excitingly joins the Gourmet Traveller team to bring his technical and creative expertise in food to the brand.
Cuisine:
Modern Australian
Magazine Issue:
January 2018