Jenny Saw loves feeding people and it is most apparent during festivities and when her children invite their friends over for a makan session. The star for many of her guests is her asam laksa, but this salad is a sleeper hit that is usually one of the first items on the buffet table to run out. It’s delicious at any temperature, which makes it an excellent party and picnic dish.
Tableware by Ilham Ceramic Studio.
Thai-style bihun salad
by Jenny SawJenny Saw loves feeding people and it is most apparent during festivities and when her children invite their friends over for a makan session. The star for many of her guests is her asam laksa, but this salad is a sleeper hit that is usually one of the first items on the buffet table to run out. It’s delicious at any temperature, which makes it an excellent party and picnic dish.
Tableware by Ilham Ceramic Studio.
Servings: 4
Servings: 4
Ingredients
2 chicken breast, skinned
6 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water
2 pieces black fungus
3 tbsp cooking oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
5 cili padi, sliced in half lengthways
3 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in hot water
400g bihun, soaked in hot water
3 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup mint leaves
1 tsp chilli powder
Directions
- Place the chicken breast in a small saucepan and pour in enough water to cover the chicken. Bring the pot and its contents to boil over high heat, and immediately lower it to a simmer. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breast from the saucepan into a separate bowl. Drain the soaked dried shitake mushroom and boil it with the fungus in the same saucepan and liquid, until soft. This can take about 15 minutes, depending how dense the mushrooms are.
- Remove the mushrooms and fungus from the saucepan. Slice the mushrooms and fungus into thin strips, and shred the cooled chicken breast into strips.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add about 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chopped garlic and fry until golden.
- Remove the fried garlic from the oil. In the same oil, fry the cili padi until soft, then remove from the oil.
- Add more cooking oil into the pan if needed. Drain the dried prawns and fry them until crispy, about 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oil.
- Bring a separate, clean saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Dunk the soaked vermicelli into the boiling water, swirl for about 30-45 seconds, then lift and drain well.
- Place the drained vermicelli into a large mixing bowl. Add the shredded chicken, sliced mushrooms, sliced black fungus, fried garlic, fried cili padi, and fried dried prawns. Mix very well.
- Add the fish sauce and lemon juice, along with the mint leaves and chilli powder. Continue mixing well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary: you will most likely need to add a bit more fish sauce and/or lemon juice.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Ingredients
2 chicken breast, skinned
6 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water
2 pieces black fungus
3 tbsp cooking oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
5 cili padi, sliced in half lengthways
3 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in hot water
400g bihun, soaked in hot water
3 tbsp fish sauce, plus more to taste
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup mint leaves
1 tsp chilli powder
Directions
- Place the chicken breast in a small saucepan and pour in enough water to cover the chicken. Bring the pot and its contents to boil over high heat, and immediately lower it to a simmer. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breast from the saucepan into a separate bowl. Drain the soaked dried shitake mushroom and boil it with the fungus in the same saucepan and liquid, until soft. This can take about 15 minutes, depending how dense the mushrooms are.
- Remove the mushrooms and fungus from the saucepan. Slice the mushrooms and fungus into thin strips, and shred the cooled chicken breast into strips.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat, then add about 2 tbsp of cooking oil. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chopped garlic and fry until golden.
- Remove the fried garlic from the oil. In the same oil, fry the cili padi until soft, then remove from the oil.
- Add more cooking oil into the pan if needed. Drain the dried prawns and fry them until crispy, about 5 minutes or so. Remove from the oil.
- Bring a separate, clean saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Dunk the soaked vermicelli into the boiling water, swirl for about 30-45 seconds, then lift and drain well.
- Place the drained vermicelli into a large mixing bowl. Add the shredded chicken, sliced mushrooms, sliced black fungus, fried garlic, fried cili padi, and fried dried prawns. Mix very well.
- Add the fish sauce and lemon juice, along with the mint leaves and chilli powder. Continue mixing well.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary: you will most likely need to add a bit more fish sauce and/or lemon juice.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
