Simple Green Mango Salad

I went grocery shopping this past weekend and when I saw green mangoes on sale for $1.99 lb, regular $2.99 lb, I got a bit carried away and purchased about 10 lbs worth (5 mangoes). Perhaps they got a new shipment or something because normally there aren’t many selections.  On Friday I stopped by my parents’ house and brought back with me lots of goodies (like always) one being my Mother’s homemade salty sun-dried fish. It will be tasty when I pair it with my very easy to make green mango salad (Bok Swaiy) បុកស្វាយ. This salad is also very good eaten with plain (unsalted/not marinade) steamed or grilled fish.

Note: If possible, try to buy the green mango in the vegetable section of the Asian Supermarket.  The skin will have light green to dark green color and the flesh will be white (like in the picture below).  These variety has a crisp texture an a tart taste. Do not use the mangoes in the fruit section. Even though the outer peel may look green and hard to the touch, their flesh will still have that yellow color and tend to be soft  and mushy when you cut into it unlike those you find at the Asian stores. I am also using my already prepared fish sauce that I made and stored in the fridge. You can just use the same ingredients and adjust to your taste.

Simple Green Mango Salad
(Bok Swaiy) បុកស្វាយ

Ingredients
1 green mango, peel removed and julienne/shred
4-5 bird’s eye chili (optional)
3-4 cloves of garlic, skin removed
1 tablespoon prepared fish sauce

Method:
In a mortar and pestle pound the garlic and chilies. Add ½ of the shredded green mango followed by the prepared fish sauce. Continue pounding using a spoon or fork to rotate it around. Add the remaining green mango and lightly pound to combine. Scoop out and serve with your choice of cooked meats and steamed rice.