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Yum tua pu – Thai winged bean salad
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4.50 from 2 votes

Thai winged bean salad (yum tua pu – ยำถั่วพู)

This vegan Thai winged bean salad balances saltiness, sweetness, and acidity, with a rich boost from coconut cream and Thai chilli paste. The versatility of this yum (or yam) dressing means it can be employed with other crunchy vegetables too (green beans, asparagus, etc..). You can eat this with rice, as part of a meal with curry, or on its own.
Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

  • 125 grams winged beans cut into approximate 1 centimetre slices
  • 1 litre water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 ½ tablespoons thinly sliced shallot
  • 1-2 bird’s eye chillies thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh or frozen grated coconut
  • 3 tablespoons coconut cream see notes1
  • 1 tablespoon thin soy sauce see notes2
  • 1 tablespoon Thai chilli jam/paste (nam prik pao) see notes3
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon soft palm sugar see notes4
  • 2 tablespoons ground roasted peanut
  • 2 tablespoons fried shallot see notes5

Instructions

  • Add the water and salt to a saucepan. Bring to the boil. When boiling, add the winged beans and cook for one minute. Strain under cold water and tip them into a small bowl. Add the sliced chillies and sliced fresh shallot to the same bowl.
  • Heat a small pan to medium low heat. Add the coconut and cook, stirring constantly, until it dries and colours to a toasted light brown (a few minutes).
  • Combine the toasted coconut, coconut cream, soy sauce, nam prik pao, lime juice, and palm sugar in a small bowl. Use a fork to mash the palm sugar and nam prik pao so the sauce is uniformly combined.
  • Pour the sauce over the winged beans and mix so everything is coated.
  • Serve the salad topped with roasted peanut and fried shallot.

Notes

  1. You do not need to buy anything specifically labeled as coconut cream. Buy a fatty coconut milk and use the thicker part of the liquid on top.
  2. There are many styles of soy sauce. While you can use whatever you have to hand, I recommend a Thai brand of thin soy sauce. Check out my guide to Thai soy and seasoning sauces for more info.
  3. Thai chilli paste, otherwise known as nam prik pao, takes a bit of time to make but it will be your favourite condiment.
  4. If the palm sugar you have is solid, you can pop it in a microwave to soften first.
  5. You can buy crispy fried shallots, but they pale in comparison to homemade fried shallots.