No-Cook Cambodian Green Mango Salad Rice Bowl with Herbs, Lime and Cashews

Spread the cooked jasmine rice on a sheet pan and let it come fully to room temperature — warm rice will wilt the herbs and turn the salad soggy.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice, cooled to room temperature
• 2 large unripe green mangoes, peeled and julienned
• 1 small red onion, sliced paper thin
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1 red bird's eye chili, seeded and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 3/4 cup roasted cashews, roughly crushed
• 1/4 cup crispy fried shallots

Instructions

1. Spread the cooked jasmine rice on a sheet pan and let it come fully to room temperature — warm rice will wilt the herbs and turn the salad soggy.
2. In a small jar, combine the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, minced chili and grated garlic, then shake or whisk until the sugar has completely dissolved; taste and adjust so the dressing lands sharp, salty and just barely sweet.
3. Soak the sliced red onion in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to take off its raw bite, then drain well and pat dry.
4. Place the julienned green mango, drained onion and bean sprouts in a large mixing bowl.
5. Pour about two-thirds of the dressing over the mango mixture and toss with your hands until every strand is coated; let it sit for 5 minutes so the mango softens slightly and drinks up the dressing.
6. Add the mint and cilantro and toss once more, gently, keeping the leaves whole.
7. Divide the cooled rice among four wide bowls and spoon the mango salad over the top, pouring on any dressing left in the bowl.
8. Finish each bowl with crushed cashews, crispy fried shallots and a final drizzle of the reserved dressing.
9. Serve immediately with extra lime on the side, and eat with a spoon and fork Cambodian-style, mixing everything together as you go.
10. Cambodian nhoam salads are built on a balance the Khmer call the four tastes — sour, salty, sweet and hot — and green mango is the classic vehicle because it delivers sourness and crunch in one ingredient. Look for mangoes that are rock hard and pale green; a mango with any give will shred into mush instead of clean threads. This is a genuine no-cook lunch if you buy or make the rice a day ahead, which makes it a favorite for hot July afternoons when turning on a burner is out of the question.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 480 kcal
• Protein: 11g
• Fat: 17g
• Carbohydrates: 72g
• Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 20g
• Sodium: 980mg