Chinese Cabbage Salad [vegetarian]

A few weeks ago we had some friends over for dinner. I was planning to make a Peking duck for the main course, and I knew what dessert I was going to make, but somehow I was stuck with a starter. I wanted to make a light salad without any meat or seafood, as having duck for main was already very meat-y. And this was when I realized that I had probably never made a Chinese salad fulfilling these requirements. I looked through some books and finally, I found a recipe that seemed just right.

In the book, a regular cabbage was used, so it had to be blanched after it was shredded. I decided to use a raw Chinese cabbage instead. The salad was very refreshing and light, just as I wanted it to be. And it was indeed a perfect starter for Peking duck!

INGREDIENTS (for 4-6 portions):

2 tbsp vegetable oil,

5 shallots, halved and thinly sliced,

5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced,

0.5 chilli, thinly chopped,

1 Chinese cabbage (weighing approx. 0.5 kg), shredded,

2 tbsp coarsely chopped roasted peanuts,

Dressing:

2 tbsp fish sauce,

grated rind of 1 lime,

2 tbsp lime juice,

120ml coconut milk.

METHOD:

1. On a medium size frying pan warm up the oil, add the shallots, garlic and chili, and stir fry on a medium heat for 12-15 minutes until the shallots are brown (but not burnt).
2. In a bowl, mix the dressing ingredients.
3. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and stir very well.
4. Transfer the cabbage onto a big serving dish, and sprinkle the top with the fried mixture and the peanuts.
5. Voila!

This recipe is based on a recipe from "The Complete Wok and Stir-Fry Cookbook"