**The Art of Making Mama Salad**

When it comes to Thai cuisine, few dishes are as beloved and iconic as Mama Salad. This simple yet flavorful dish is a staple in many Thai households, and its versatility makes it easy to customize to suit any taste. In this article, we'll delve into the world of Mama Salad and explore the intricacies of making this delicious dish.

The beauty of Mama Salad lies in its simplicity. It's a salad that's built around a few key ingredients: noodles, vegetables, and protein. The base of the salad is usually made up of Mama Noodles, which are specifically designed to be curly and wiggly. These noodles add a delightful texture to the dish, making each bite a sensory experience. When cooked according to package instructions, the noodles absorb the dressing beautifully, becoming infused with all the flavors of the salad.

**Adding Protein**

One of the reasons Mama Salad is so versatile is that it can be easily customized with various proteins. In this particular recipe, the protein of choice is shrimp. The reason for using shrimp is simple: it's a common pairing in Thai cuisine and adds a sweet, succulent element to the dish. When added to the salad, the shrimp cooks quickly – literally just 30 seconds – making it an ideal addition to this recipe.

While shrimp is the chosen protein here, feel free to experiment with other options like ground pork, chicken, or even beef. The key is to choose a protein that will mix well with the noodles and vegetables, adding flavor and texture to the dish. In the case of ground pork, it's recommended to cook it until just done, as excess moisture can make the salad feel soggy.

**Adding Flavor**

Another crucial element in Mama Salad is its dressing. In this recipe, a store-bought garlic oil from a Mama packet is used to sauté the protein before adding it to the salad. This not only adds flavor but also helps to create a rich, savory broth that ties the entire dish together. The use of garlic oil here is pure genius – it's an easy way to add depth and complexity to the salad without having to spend hours in the kitchen.

While the dressing is an essential component of Mama Salad, its recipe is often left up to individual interpretation. Some prefer a lighter hand, while others enjoy a more robust flavor profile. In this case, we're using a generous amount of garlic oil to create a bold, savory taste that complements the other ingredients beautifully.

**The Final Touches**

As the salad comes together, it's clear that the addition of fresh greenery is the final touch needed to complete this dish. For this recipe, Chinese celery and cilantro leaves are used to add a pop of color and freshness. The celery adds a floral note that complements the sweetness of the tomatoes, while the cilantro provides a bright, herbaceous flavor.

Finally, a sprinkle of dry Mama noodles is added on top of the salad for good measure. These tiny noodles may seem like an afterthought, but they add a delightful crunch and texture to each bite, making this dish truly special.

**The Verdict**

Mama Salad is more than just a simple noodle salad – it's an experience that invites exploration and creativity. With its versatile ingredients and adaptable dressing, there's never been a bad time to make this beloved Thai classic. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a culinary newbie, Mama Salad has something for everyone.

So go ahead, give this recipe a try. Mix up the protein, adjust the seasoning to taste, and most importantly – have fun! With every bite of Mama Salad, you'll discover why this dish is a staple in Thai cuisine: its sheer simplicity belies an incredible depth of flavor and texture that's sure to leave even the most discerning palates singing.

**Conclusion**

Mama Salad may be a simple dish on paper, but its complexity lies in its execution. When made with love and care, this salad becomes a true culinary masterpiece – one that's both nourishing and delicious. With this recipe as your guide, you'll be well on your way to making an authentic Thai classic that's sure to delight family and friends alike.

So what are you waiting for? Dive into the world of Mama Salad today and discover the secrets behind this beloved Thai dish. Whether you're a seasoned foodie or just starting out on your culinary journey, there's never been a better time to try this mouthwatering salad recipe.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(upbeat music)Sawaddee ka.- Welcome to Hot Thai Kitchen.I am so excited today.I am finally introducing you to oneof our national junk food,and that is Mama!.Yes, Mama is our like nationalbrand of instant noodles.I am making Mama Noodle Salad,or Yum Mama,which is actually a very commondish that Thai people make,you know cause most Thai homes will haveMama around in the house,and so one thing that's very easy,and very delicious to dois to turn it into a salad.So let's get started.So here are the Mama noodles.There are many, many different flavors.There are more flavors in Thailand.If you are ever there check outthe instant noodle aisle, it's super fun.Now you can use differentflavors for this recipe,cause we're not using theactual seasoning packet,but there are some you can't use, okay?So I'm gonna to point outthat, this one for exampleis actually a different kind of noodle.This one is rice noodles.The one that we wantis the classic noodleswhich are made from wheat, okay?This is the pork flavor.It's a super classic.It's the one I'm gonna to use, okay?The noodles inside should look like that,and it's the one I'm gonna use,because it also comeswith this garlic oil inside,which I'm actually gonnainclude in my dressing.This classic tom yum flavor,this is really popular.It's the one I usually have in my pantry.It doesn't come with garlic oil,but it does come with alittle packet of chili paste,which you can put in the salad dressingif you want for something different.One note, sometimes there's a jumbo pack.Usually the flavor of thejumbo pack is creamy tom yum.So it's tom yum soup,but this is one it's gotta a creamy broth.Sometimes it will be bigger than average,so make sure you look to make surethat the noodles are 55 grams.Just for the sake for this recipe,you can still use it,but don't use two full packs,like I'm about to use in this recipe.Okay, so there is mylittle Mama 101.The noodles, by the way, you can eat dry,and kids love eating these,cause they are fully cooked,they are deep fried and crispy.So as a kid I would just break it up,put some seasoning in there,shake it up and just eat it like chips.So good!Okay, I'm gonna put these away,and let's make the dressing.So the dressing as always will bemade in my little mortar and pestle here.I'm gonna start out with a Thai chili.You can make this as spicyor as not spicy as you want.I'm also going to add some cilantro stems.I save the leaves so you cantoss them into the salad later.But I love just mashingthe stem into the dressing.I'm gonna pound that into a paste.Okay, so it is now mostly a paste,and now I'm gonna add some palm sugar.You can use just regular white sugarfor this for sure if you don't have it.I'm gonna pound that until it's dissolved.Oh, that looks good.And now of course, it's a Thai salad,we're gonna add some fish sauce, yay!But I am adding just a little touchof soy sauce into this as well,which is not usual for a Thai salad,but I do find that it really workswith the flavor of the Mama noodles.You can do all fish sauce if you like.And lime juice,lots and lots of lime juice.You will notice that I'm usingless salty in this dressing.That's because the noodles themselveshave some saltiness in them.So if I made just a regular yum dressing,I find that it's a little too salty.I'm just gonna throw in somethinly sliced lemongrass.That will just give it some extra texture,extra aroma, extra flavor.And you know what,everybody I feel like has theirown version of Mama Salad,so this is just my version.Please feel free to dowith it whatever you want.And last but not least,I already added some fresh chilies,but I'm also gonna add some dry chilies,which always comes withthe Mama seasoning packet.It's a small one, and Ithink every flavor has it,cause it's you know for some peoplewho want things a little more spicy.And I just find that,cause dry chilies and fresh chilieshave different flavors, right?I just find that both flavorsreally add extra character to this.Now how much should I add?Let's add both.And that's it, yay.Alright, so in my mixing bowl here,I have got some onions and tomatoes.Now I am using sweet Vidalia onionswhich I love in the salad,but you can do whateverkind of onions you like.Set his aside for now.I wanna talk about Mama.I'm going to blanche these,and these only take two minutes to cook,but I wanna break it firstinto about four pieces.Otherwise I find the noodles too long.And I like to do that in the bagso it doesn't fall out all over the place.Yeah, like chunks like thisI find makes fora nicesalad.So I'm just gonna add thatto my boiling water here.Okay, now at the bottom of every bag,there are these brokenpieces ofMama here.I like to save these so Ican sprinkle them on top,so I get, you know crunchybits on top of my salad.But it's up to you.If you want you can justeat them right here,cause they are good.That's done, I'm just gonnna fish it out.You definitely don'twant to overcook thesecause they can becomemushy pretty quickly.And now there's a reasonwhy I am fishing them outrather than pouringthem into the strainer,because I want to save thatwater to blanche my proteins.So while that water is still hot,I'm gonna add some shrimp.You can do any kind of protein you like,but I feel like shrimpis the more common one.And I'm not pouring them down,because I don't want splashing hot water.And these will take literally 30 seconds.That is it for the shrimp.I'm gonna fish them out now.I have one more protein to cook.I'm gonna turn this off,and get rid of this water.It's very common for us toadd ground pork to this salad.Naturally mixes in withthe noodles really well,so I would recommend having some sortof ground meat in there.You don't need pork,you can have chicken.Even ground beef might be good.But let me just drain this water.Alright, remember that garlicoil from the Mama packet?Yep, I'm gonna use that to saute the pork.Isn't that genius?That's totally genius.Oooooooooooo, delicious.And break up that pork,and you just wanna cookit until it's done.So as you can see the porkhas released quite abit of liquid in there,and I want to keep thatliquid in the salad,cause that's really flavorful stuff.But each time you makeit you're not gonna havethe exact same amountof liquid which meansyou will have to taste,and be prepared to adjust for seasoning.Alright and now all we have to dois put everything together.So while the pork is still warm,I'm gonna pour that rightover the vegetables.And it will help sort of wilt the onions,and warm and soften thetomatoes a little bit.The noodles and the shrimp, boom.Now, since the noodleshave been sitting awhile,it's gonna look a little clumpy.Don't worry, that's when you pouryour dressing right over the noodles,and all that liquid will helpsoften release a little bit.There we go, mmmmmmmmmmm!Now, oh that looks good.Mmmm, that smells good too.It looks like it needssome greenery, doe is not?A-ha, so I'm going to addsomeChinesecelery.So this is Chinese celery.I've got the leaves picked,and I've chopped the stems,and if you have never workedwith Chinese celery before,this is what it looks like.So it's basically like a skinny and leafyversion of a regular celery, basically.And if you can't find this,you can just use regular celery,and choose the inside stocks.So get the leaves,get the inside stocks,and chop it up.It will work just as well.So in thatgoes.And I'm also gonna throw injust a handful of the cilantro leaves.We used the stem inthe dressing, remember?So now,everything gets mixed.And these noodles reallyabsorb dressing really well,which will make them super flavorful.You know, this is like ahuge amount of Mama Salad.But I find that one pack is too small.And two pack is pretty big,but, you know, you can neverhave too much Mama Salad.Oooh, look at how beautiful that is.And only one thing left to do,and that is to eat.Yes.That's right.Oh, you know what I forgot,is I forgot a littlesprinkle of the dry Mama.There we go, we'll justdo it for this bite.(upbeat music)(laughs)Mmmmmmmm.Oh so,so nostalgic.It's really refreshing.Just the right amount of acidity,and the noodles, Mama noodles in saladare the funnest noodles ever,cause they are kind of like,they're curly and wigglyand they kind of dancearound in your mouth,and they really absorball of that dressing.The celery gives it thattouch of floral quality.Tomatoes are sweet and juicy.The pork's a little chewy,and that dry bits of Mama noodles,it's like flavor andtexture party in there.So easy and really, reallya great dish in the summer.Again, it's served room temperature,even cold is fine.And I still taste that garlic oil.So, the recipe as always will be onHotThaiKitchen.com.When you make it, Idefinitely want to see it,so send me a photo onFacebook, Twitter, or Instagram.If you haven't subscribed to the show,make sure you do so youdon't miss an episode,and also click that little bell iconbeside the subscribe button,so you will get a notificationwhen I post a new video.And if you love the show,and you want to support us,check out the Patreon linkin the description below,and I will see you nexttime for you next deliciousThai meal.(upbeat music)\n"