Khao-Yum Pak Tai
(southern-style rice salad with budu dressing)

Khao- yum is a good way to incorporate with many types of vegetables into your diet and making it flavorful with the budu dressing (southern-style fermented fish sauce). Aside from vegetables, some edible flowers can also be used. In some provinces, crispy rice (khao-tung) is also added into the mixture. However, in such cases, the dressing should not make the crispy rice soggy. The vegetables need to be thoroughly cleaned and finely, precisely cut.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice
1 cup dried shrimp, pounded
1 cup grated coconut, roasted
chili powder
lime wedges

fresh vegetables:
1 cup bean spout, stringy tails removed
1/4 cup lemongrass, thinly sliced
1/2 cup young kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
3/4 cup green mango, finely chopped
1 cup snake bean, thinly chopped
1 cup pamelo, broken up into small pieces

budu dressing:
1/2 cup budu sauce
1-1/2 cups water
1 piece salted king fish (approximately 80 grams) optional
1 cup palm sugar
4 peeled shallots, lightly crushed
1 stem lemongrass, cut in half crushed
1 piece galangal, lightly crushed
3 kaffir lime leaves, torn

Preparation:
To make the budu dressing , bring water to a boil over medium heat. Add the fish and reduce the heat, continue on cooking until the fish is cooked and tender. Once cooked, remove the fish and use only the fresh. Put the fish meat back into the pot and add the budu sauce and bring to a boil over low heat.

Add shallots, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and palm sugar. Stir until the budu dressing becomes thicker. The flavor should be salty and slightly sweet. (It can be kept in an airtight container for a long time.)

Put 2-3 tablespoons of cooked rice (about 30 grams) onto a plate, then add 2 tablespoons of roasted grated coconut, 1 tablespoon of dried shrimp and a little bit of the vegetables, then drizzle 4 tablespoons of budu dressing and mix everything together. It can be seasoned with chili powder and lime juice.
Serve.

tips: the fragrance of this dish comes from the budu dressing. The flavor is not too salty or sweet. The fresh vegetables and herbs are finely sliced. The rice is soft and fragrant while the texture is neither dry nor sticky