AI-generated image
Tam taeng (Isan pounded cucumber salad)
ตำแตง · Cucumber batons bruised in a mortar with lime, chilli, tomato and peanuts
In Khon Kaen, Udon Thani and the rest of Isan, the somtam stall always offers a cucumber version alongside the papaya one, and many locals prefer it on hot afternoons: tam taeng is juicier, cooler and crunchier. Thick batons of cucumber are bruised, not smashed, with garlic, chillies, lime and palm sugar, so they soak up the dressing but keep their snap. Sellers add fermented fish or dried shrimp; this vegan bowl leans on soy and toasted peanuts for depth instead. It is eaten with sticky rice and grilled food, picked up with your fingers. Chef's tip: use firm cucumbers with small seeds and scoop out a watery core, or the salad floods within minutes.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Pound 2 cloves garlic and 3 bird's eye chillies in a large clay or wooden mortar until roughly crushed. Add 1 tbsp palm sugar and pound until it melts into the paste.
Step 2: Add 2 yardlong beans and bruise them with a few firm strokes so they split. Add 6 cherry tomatoes and the lime wedges and press lightly to release their juice.
Step 3: Add 1 lime, 1 ½ tbsp gluten-free light soy sauce or tamari and 1 pinch salt, then 3 small firm cucumbers. Use the pestle in one hand and a spoon in the other: tap and turn the cucumber for 30–40 seconds, just until the batons crack at the edges and the dressing turns pale green. Pounding too long makes them limp and watery.
Step 4: Taste and balance: it should be sour first, then salty and hot, with sweetness behind. Tip onto a plate, scatter with 2 tbsp roasted peanuts and eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 140 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tam taeng (Isan pounded cucumber salad) take?
- About 15 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of small firm cucumbers?
- Courgette, same weight (in salads, use young ones).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Mix capsicum peanut salad
A crunchy salad of red, yellow and green peppers with roasted peanuts, cucumber, carrots and celery, dressed with lemon, dill, mint and celery leaves. Just before serving, olive oil mixed with sesame seeds is poured over the top. It's colourful, filling and full of protein.
All-way potato salad
Warm new potatoes boiled in their skins and tossed in one of three dressings: creamy parsley sour cream, a tangy basil vinaigrette, or a fresh 'greeny' dressing of cottage cheese and herbs. Each dressing is enough for 500 g of potatoes, so make one, or make all three for a party. Serve the salad chilled on a bed of lettuce with a spoonful of single cream on top.
Greek village salad
A true Greek salad has no lettuce: just ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumber, sharp onion and olives, dressed with good olive oil and dried oregano, with a whole slab of feta on top. Salt the tomatoes first and they'll make their own dressing.