Pla Goong (Spicy Thai Shrimp Salad)

Dear friends,
Let us not be too judgmental when a substitute is asked for. I live about 45 miles from a grocery that sells some of the ingredients in this salad so I will just have to wing it if I want to make something like it. So be of good cheer and think about your intolerances and try not to be too critical of others. And yes cilantro does taste like soap to some.

BTW, I am not averse to either of these. Just not available where I live. And let's hold the snarky comments and make this a place where we can not be judged by our questions.

Lime leaves and even the bird chilies freeze well. Buy them next time around an Asian market and keep in freezer. Same with galangal and lemon grass

This sounds delicious. However, I wonder if there are any substitutions for lime leaves and bird chilies?

I peeled my shrimp and put the shells in my pot of water to boil. After removing the shells, I cooked the shrimp. I was able to toss the shrimp right in the waiting sauce. Got the benefit of the shell flavoring without the hassle peeling cooked shrimp. Enjoyed the dish very much.

If you don't like Cilantro, try using Culantro. It is a better substitute than Parsley. The taste is close enough to Cilantro but just slightly less strong. If you can't get the Kaffir lime leaves, increase the amount of Lemongrass. Also, I have used Sriracha or Guilin Chili paste when I don't have the Thai paste on hand. wadesglobalkitchen.blogspot.com

Thank you for your lovely comment. We all need to be of good cheer especially when we see what is going on the world. We may love to cook and enjoy terrific food. However, we do not all reside in areas where all the ingredients are readily available. Substitution is sometimes not an option. Helpfulness is much better than criticism.

Cilantro is a major taste in many Asian foods. It can always be replaced by any green leafy herb but the taste will be vastly different. Parsley is often suggested but I feel it is not a strong enough taste to compete with Asian flavours. My suggestion would be watercress or arugula , finely sliced, rather than salad sized leaves. They have more depth and the "garden" taste that cilantro usually adds.

If you have trouble finding some of the Thai-specific ingredients, I can highly recommend http://importfood.com ; I have ordered the Keffir lime leaves, lemongrass, tamarind pulp and more over the years. Bonus: lots of great, authentic recipes on the website, with videos!

There was nothing wrong with your question. Some of the comments below are so hostile. Why be mean when you can encourage.

I get discouraged when I see cilantro in a recipe. I am one of those people who loathe cilantro (a genetic thing that affects about 10% of the population). Normally I just leave it out, but I would appreciate it if recipe writers would acknowledge this, either by suggesting substitutions or noting that it can be left out.

It's tough to find a substitute for kaffir lime leaves. Lime zest is probably your best bet. Thai bird chiles are quite hot. Serrano chiles would be a good substitute and tend to be more readily available. Vietnamese and Thai markets tend to have kaffir lime leaves and the chiles; other Asian markets rarely, if ever, do. Both are available online (and at their store) from Kalustyans.

Try fresh lemon verbena leaves and/or lime zest as sub for lime leaves. As for bird chillies, I think Jalapeño /serrano would work really well here; plus they are available almost anywhere. If you like it hotter go for the habanero.

I've been eating Thai food since the early '70s. This type of dish, which is more appetizer than entrée, is typically served with thin rice noodles, not rice. I would recommend substituting noodles for rice in a comparative experiment.

I've never heard of using sliced raw lemongrass in a salad, especially in this quantity. It's kind of woody and usually it's cooked out just for flavor but not actually eaten (like in Tom Ka Gai coconut milk chicken soup), or if you eat it, it's ground with other ingredients to make a seasoning paste. Did anyone make the dish with this much lemongrass (and like it)?