Related Articles
If you go to Mexico City and leave without a pressing, relentless craving for melon, or really just about any fruit, sprinkled with tajín (salsa en polva), a branded seasoning powder comprised of chiles, lime and salt, I think you need to go back because you did it wrong. It feels melodramatic to call this intersection of tangy spice and juicy fruit a national dish, but the spice blend is a staple on tables and at street vendors all over Mexico, and I dare say more popular than ketchup is here. If you go to someone’s home and they have a bottle of tajin in their cabinet, it’s usually right up front and there’s a spare somewhere near because it would be unfathomable to run out. If asked, the person will probably tell you that they had it once over melon, mango, pineapple or cucumbers one time, or maybe in a michelada and they could never eat it another way again. I hope you consider that a warning.
Although in Mexico it’s a street snack, as unfussy as can be, because I’m a no-fun person who hates eating standing up, I’ve been trying to figure out how to make a salad of it for some time and finally figured it out. Here, the lime juice is squeezed fresh, the chili powder is sprinkled to taste, the salt is coarse and I add other accents — roasted pepitas, crumbled cotija and chopped cilantro. It works as part a brunch spread (I think all brunch spread need more salad), with some sort of taco-centric meal or as the heat wave salad of my dreams.
Are there equivalent seasonings in other countries? In Indian cooking, there’s chaat masala, a sour spice I cannot get enough of. Li hing is a powdered format of Chinese dried plum that’s popular in Hawaii. I tried to come up with a US approximation of it but came up blank. I’m asking only partially out of culinary curiosity and mostly because I’m going to need one of each, stat.
Previously
One year ago: Raspberry Crushed Ice
Two years ago: Apricot Pistachio Squares
Three years ago: Strawberry Lime and Black Pepper Popsicles
Four years ago: Charred Pepper Steak Sauce
Five years ago: Tomato Salad with Crushed Croutons
Six years ago: Zucchini and Almond Pasta Salad
Seven years ago: Lighter Airy Pound Cake
Eight years ago: Grilled Eggplant with Caponata Salsa
Nine years ago: Summer Berry Pudding
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Hot and Sour Soup
1.5 Years Ago: Oven-Braised Beef with Tomatoes and Garlic
2.5 Years Ago: Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
3.5 Years Ago: Salted Caramel Brownies
4.5 Years Ago: Lasagna Bolognese
Chile-Lime Melon Salad
- 4 cups chopped or balled melon (from about 1 cantaloupe or honeydew, or 1/4 a large watermelon)
- Juice of half a lime, divided, plus more to taste
- Coarse salt, to taste
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 tablespoons crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 tablespoon toasted pepitas (I like the salty ones)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus more to taste
Do ahead: I’d expected this salad not to keep at all but we found it just fine (with no watery run-off) after 2 hours in the fridge. I wouldn’t keep it assembled too much longer, though. You don’t want the salt to draw the juices out of the fruit before you eat it, and it’s quick enough to put together at the last minute.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/smittenkitchen/~3/vMAPLzR1VfY/
