Rachel Allen

Asian salads are light, spicy and zingy, and Rachel Allen makes them even better, with her mother-in-law Darina’s top tip for sourcing authentic ingredients

Asian salads

Asian flavours lend themselves so well to crunchy, zesty summer meals. A substantial salad that’s also light and refreshing, packed with zingy flavours and great textures, is just what I want at this time of the year. A plate of noodles dressed with salty nam

pla, garlic and chilli is never going to be wishy-washy. Add some prawns, chicken and lots of lime juice, and you have a summer’s day feast.

I love this south-east Asian sticky pork salad, right. There are myriad flavours going on, and the salty, crunchy peanuts and sweet caramelised pork balance perfectly with the verdant green of the fresh mint, basil and coriander leaves.

Balance is what Asians do so well in their cooking. I never tire of the sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami combo. However, not quite enough of one ingredient can tip the scales in the wrong direction altogether. A well-stocked store cupboard is the mainstay of lots of Asian cooking, and then, addded to that, fresh, seasonal goodies will complete your dish.

For the best, most authentic Asian store-cupboard ingredients, do as my

“A plate of noodles with salty nam pla, garlic and chilli is never going to be wishy-washy”

mother-in-law Darina recommends: go for the labels with the most Asian text and the least in English!

A good dipping sauce, far right, is at the backbone of lots of south-east Asian food. It encompasses that perfect balance of flavours, and is ideal for serving with everything from fish and meat to vegetables and spring rolls. It’s highly addictive, and should come with a warning.