Ingredients – serves 4 as part of a shared Asian banquet

• 200 g Chinese cabbage
• 1-2 carrots
• 8 large cherry tomatoes
• 8 cooked king prawns, peeled, deveined, tails intact
• 1/2 cup raw peanuts, roasted, lightly crushed
• 1 cup Asian herb leaves ( Thai basil, coriander and mint)

Ingredients for Nuoc cham dressing:

• 4 long red chillies
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) lime juice (about 3 fresh limes)
• 3/4 cup (185 ml) fish sauce
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) rice vinegar
• Finely chopped green or red  small chillies, to taste!!

Method:

To prepare Nuoc Cham dressing

• Split the long red chillies, remove and discard seeds, then slice.
• Pound the garlic with a pinch of salt using a large mortar and pestle.
• Add the sliced red chillies and continue to pound the mixture to a fine paste. (Alternatively, pulse garlic and chilli briefly in a food processor to finely chop)

Make the dressing:

• Add caster sugar and stir to blend. Squeeze in the lime juice, then slowly stir in the fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and 1 cup (250 ml) water until completely incorporated.
• Add chopped chillies to taste.

Assemble the salad:

• Finely slice the cabbage leaves and place in a mixing bowl
• Peel the carrots and cut into thin match sticks.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes, then add to the bowl with the carrots, prawns, peanuts and mixed herbs.

Toss the salad:

• Add enough of the Nuoc cham dressing to generously coat the salad (leftover dressing will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge). Toss well to combine, then divide among serving plates