With a lime-spiked dressing that’s spicy, sweet, salty and sour, this salad is unbeatable in hot weather
Diana Henry The Telegraph's award-winning cookery writer
Diana Henry shares recipes for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. Her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters. Click here to sign up to receive Diana's Recipes Newsletter – featuring a weekly meal planner – every Saturday.
See more
Published
This salad fills your mouth with such irresistible contrasts that I can never eat it fast enough. Every mouthful makes you long for the next. It’s also good made with mangoes – slightly underripe ones are best – instead of watermelon.
Requires soaking time
Overview
Prep time
25 mins
Cook time
10 mins
Serves
4
Ingredients
For the crispy shallots
- 4 shallots, finely sliced
- 100ml milk
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- Groundnut oil
For the dressing
- 1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and chopped
- 1 tbsp soft light-brown sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- Juice of 2 limes
For the salad
- 350g watermelon flesh, cubed
- 250g tomatoes, preferably of different sizes (either red or purple, or a mixture, if you have a choice)
- ½ small red onion, shaved
- 10g coriander, leaves only
- 15g Thai basil leaves
- 20 mint leaves, torn if large
- 15g roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1½ tsp sesame seeds (white or black, or a mixture)
Method
Step
Make the crispy shallots first (you can also buy them in shops specialising in south-east Asian food, though these taste better). Soak 4 finely sliced shallots in 100ml milk for 30 minutes.
Step
Add 1 tsp nigella seeds to 4 tbsp plain flour and season it, then toss the shallots in it.
Step
Heat about 12cm groundnut oil in a deep pan. As soon as it’s hot, add half the shallots and cook until crispy. Lift out on to a double layer of kitchen paper and scatter with salt.
Step
Fry the other half in the same way. Leave to cool.
Step
Make the dressing. Put 1 roughly chopped garlic clove and 1 deseeded and chopped red chilli into a mortar and bash them to make a rough purée.
Step
Add 1 tbsp soft light-brown sugar or caster sugar, 1 tbsp fish sauce and the juice of 2 limes and stir to help the sugar dissolve, then taste. It will be hot, sweet, salty and sour.
Step
Make sure there are no little seeds in the 350g cubed watermelon flesh.
Step
Cut 250g tomatoes into halves or quarters, depending on size. Toss these in a shallow, broad bowl with the watermelon.
Step
Toss in ½ shaved small red onion, the leaves from 10g coriander, 15g Thai basil leaves, 20 mint leaves (torn if large), 15g chopped roasted peanuts, and 1½ tsp sesame seeds.
Step
Add the dressing, then scatter over the shallots. Serve immediately.