Lotus Salad with Shrimp

Ingredients

• 2 shallots
• peanut oil (for frying)
• 400 g lotus root
• 1 cucumber
• a handful of coriander leaves
• 8 large shrimp (deveined and peeled except for the tail segment)
• 1 red chili pepper
• 60 g Peanuts
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp peanut oil
• 4 tbsp Rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp light fish sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the shallots and slice them lengthwise into thin strips. Fry in hot oil (about 170°C) until golden brown, then drain on paper towels.

2. 2.

   Rinse the lotus stalks, clean (remove the thin skin), and cut diagonally into pieces 4-5 cm long. Peel the cucumber, halve it lengthwise, remove the seeds, and slice the halves. Rinse the coriander leaves, shake dry, and roughly chop. Rinse the shrimp, pat dry, and halve them lengthwise. Wash the chili pepper, halve it, deseed, and cut into fine strips. Chop the peanuts. Peel and finely mince the garlic. Sauté the garlic, peanuts, and chili in 2 tbsp hot oil in a wok for a short time. Add the shrimp and cook for about 1 minute. Remove from the wok and combine with the prepared salad ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together the vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, and remaining oil; season with salt.

3. 3.

   Add the dressing to the salad along with coriander, spoon into serving bowls, and garnish with the shallots before serving.