Thai Herb and Rice Salad (Khao Yum Style)

About This Recipe

Khao yum is a Southern Thai rice salad that turns leftover rice into something bright and textured, tossed with a mountain of shredded herbs, toasted coconut, and dried shrimp, then bound with a sour-sweet-salty dressing built on budu (fermented fish sauce) or tamarind. This version leans on tamarind and lime for the sour backbone, which is more accessible outside Thailand while keeping the same balance of flavors. The salad depends on contrast: warm rice cooled to room temperature, crisp shredded vegetables, toasted coconut for crunch and nuttiness, and a dressing sharp enough to cut through all of it. Everything is prepped separately and only tossed together right before serving, since the herbs wilt and the coconut loses its crunch if it sits dressed for too long. It's traditionally a way to use up rice and whatever vegetables are on hand, which is part of why the exact mix of herbs and vegetables varies from cook to cook — the constant is the sour-salty-sweet dressing tying it all together.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 3 cupcooked jasmine rice, cooled
• 0.5 cupunsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 cupgreen cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 cuplong beans or green beans, thinly sliced
• 1 wholecarrot, julienned
• 0.5 cupmint leaves, torn
• 0.5 cupcilantro leaves
• 3 tbsptamarind paste, dissolved in 3 tbsp warm water
• 3 tbspfish sauce
• 2 tbsppalm sugar
• 2 wholelime, juiced
• 2 wholeThai chilies, sliced
• 3 tbspdried shrimp, chopped (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the coconut

   Toast shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. 2

   Make the dressing

   Whisk dissolved tamarind, fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice together until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust for a strong sour-salty-sweet balance.

3. 3

   Prep the vegetables

   Shred cabbage and beans finely, julienne the carrot, and keep herbs whole or roughly torn.

4. 4

   Break up the rice

   Fluff the cooled rice with a fork so the grains separate rather than clumping.

5. 5

   Toss everything together

   In a large bowl, combine rice, vegetables, herbs, dried shrimp if using, and half the toasted coconut. Pour over the dressing and toss well.

6. 6

   Serve

   Top with remaining toasted coconut and sliced chilies, and serve immediately at room temperature.

Variations

• •

  Add shredded green mango for extra tartness in place of some of the lime.

• •

  Make it vegan by skipping the dried shrimp and using soy sauce in place of fish sauce.

• •

  Add flaked grilled fish or shredded chicken to turn it into a full meal.

Storage

Best eaten fresh; if needed, store components separately and toss just before serving — dressed leftovers turn soggy within a few hours.

Frequently Asked Questions