Pomelo prawn and wild rice salad with burnt garlic jaggery dressing
A quick, vibrant salad, perfect for serving at a summer barbecue. The key is that crispy garlic, red chilli and jaggery dressing.
Ingredients
- 3 fat garlic cloves
- 1 medium-strength red chilli, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp powdered jaggery (also known as desi shakkar)
- ½ lime, juice only
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 250g/9oz cooked wild rice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 15 fresh curry leaves
- 200g/7oz juicy prawns, shells removed, de-veined
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 medium-sized pomelo, shelled (ideally pink-fleshed, not white-fleshed)
- few small fresh mint leaves (optional)
- handful pomegranate seeds (optional)
- salt
Method
Using tongs, place the garlic cloves carefully over an open flame for 2–3 minutes. You want to try and char them completely on the outside. Carefully remove the garlic from the flames and place in a pestle and mortar. Crush with the red chilli and jaggery until well combined. Now add the lime juice, olive oil and a good pinch of salt, then stir well.
Tip the rice into a bowl and stir three-quarters of the dressing through it. Spread the rice over a platter and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a shallow frying pan. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the curry leaves. Fry the curry leaves for around 2 minutes or until they are crispy. Stir regularly to make sure the curry leaves do not catch. Remove the curry leaves gently from the pan using a slotted spoon and set them aside.
Meanwhile, combine the prawns with the turmeric and black pepper. Pan-fry the prawns in the same oil that the curry leaves were fried in, for just a minute-or-so on either side – the prawns should be caramelised and just cooked through.
To serve, dress the rice with the prawns and segments of pomelo and spoon over the remaining burnt garlic dressing. Scatter over the crispy curry leaves and a few sprigs of mint and pomegranate seeds, if using.