We are still working through the wonderful limes given to us by a friend. As I was juicing the limes to make lime sorbet this morning, the zesty smell reminds me of shauk dhi, a type of citrus found in Burma. I am particularly fond of shauk dhi thote which is a salty, sour and spicy relish. This lime relish is a perfect side dish to balance the richness of coconut-based curries or add freshness to otherwise ordinary fried rice. Here is a version made with limes and they are super sharp so add enough fish sauce to balance the saltiness and sourness.
ingredients
3 ripe limes, remove rind and segment
half a small onion, thinly sliced lengthways
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
a little peanut or olive oil to fry garlic
1 teaspoon roasted chickpea powder
sliced fresh chilli
fresh coriander leaves
fish sauce to taste
method
Put the sliced onion into a bowl of cold water and soak for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the garlic until golden brown. Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Keep the oil for later.
Prepare the remaining ingredients. When you are ready to assemble the relish, drain the onions, and squeeze out any excess water. Put into a small bowl, add the lime segments, a tablespoon of garlic oil and the remaining ingredients. Mix well and season with fish sauce to taste.
OMG just reading this makes my mouth water. I love shauk dhi thote and normally I would use lemon. I must try with lime next time.
Wa! It makes my mouth to water too, and most amazingly it suddenly brings a flood of fond memory of my recent trip to Burma.