Yam Mamuang, Tam Mamuang
Shredded green mango, plump shrimp and roasted cashews in a fish sauce, lime and palm sugar dressing, with shallot, tomato and chilli. One serving is about 220 g. This thai mango salad recipe serves 4 in 30 minutes and works as a light lunch on its own.
Yam mamuang is Thailand's green-mango salad, a cousin of som tam that swaps green papaya for sour unripe mango. It is sold from market stalls and salad carts across Thailand, where the dressing is whisked to order and the toppings change with the stall — shrimp, dried fish, soft-shell crab or cashews. The balance of sour, salty, sweet and hot is the same four-way balance that shapes most Thai salads.
Pairs well with: Jasmine rice and a cold Thai iced tea.
Provenance
Thailand
Thai Street Food
East & South Asia
Time Dedication
30m
25m prep • 5m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
203 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 220 g
Technical Skill
Easy
Easy (No Cook)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Prime Metabolic Fit
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Thai Street Food
Photo: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Medium — about $4–5 per serving at home (USD)
Made the market-stall way: green mango shredded by hand, dressing mixed to taste, shrimp cooked just until pink.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Shred, Slice & Mix the Dressing
20 Mins • Shredding & Slicing
Shred the mango, slice the shallots and chillies, halve the tomatoes and chop the coriander. Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar until the sugar dissolves, then taste — it should be sour first, salty second, sweet third.
Maestro Tip: Taste the mango before dressing it: very sour fruit needs the full spoon of palm sugar, a milder one needs less.
5 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Whisk the fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and sliced chillies in a small bowl until the sugar has fully dissolved. Taste and adjust — more lime for sour, more fish sauce for salty, more sugar for sweet.
Dissolve the sugar completely, or the last spoonfuls of salad will taste gritty.
Done when: A clear dressing that tastes sour first, then salty, then sweet.
5 Mins Boiling water, ~100°C (212°F)
Bring a small pot of water to a rolling boil, add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until pink, opaque and curled into a loose C — the centre should reach 63°C (145°F). Drain and cool under cold water.
Do not overcook: shrimp turn rubbery in seconds once they pass pink.
Done when: Pink, opaque shrimp curled into a C shape, firm to the touch.
5 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Put the shredded mango, shallots, tomatoes and shrimp in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss gently with your hands or two spoons until everything is coated.
Toss lightly — hard squeezing bruises the mango and makes the salad wet.
Done when: Evenly coated shreds, glossy with dressing, still crisp.
5 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Leave the salad to rest for 5 minutes so the mango softens slightly and takes up the dressing.
Five minutes is enough — longer and the mango goes limp.
Done when: Mango that has softened just a little at the edges but still crunches.
5 Mins Room temperature, ~20°C (68°F)
Pile the salad onto a plate, scatter the cashews and coriander over the top, and serve at once.
Add the cashews last so they stay crunchy against the wet salad.
Done when: A bright mound of green mango topped with golden cashews and green coriander.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve at once, while the mango is still crisp and the cashews are crunchy. The dressing will soften the salad if it sits, so dress it only when you are ready to eat.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
203
kcal / serving
Protein
16g
Complete AA
Carbs
27g
Complex
Fats
5g
Healthy
| Energy | 203 kcal |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 27 g |
| Fat | 5 g |
| Fibre | 2.8 g |
| Sugar | 20.2 g |
| Sodium | 651 mg |
| Energy | 92 kcal |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12.2 g |
| Fat | 2.4 g |
| Fibre | 1.3 g |
| Sugar | 9.2 g |
| Sodium | 296 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Green mango supplies vitamin C, shrimp adds iodine and selenium, and cashews add magnesium and copper.
Vitamin C from Green Mango
Unripe mango is a good source of vitamin C, which supports normal immune function as part of a varied diet.
Lean Protein from Shrimp
One serving carries 15.5 g of protein for only 203 kcal, so this salad fills you up without weighing you down.
Healthy Fats from Cashews
Cashews add mostly unsaturated fats plus magnesium and copper, in a small, crunchy handful.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Sides
Jasmine Rice
Plain steamed rice soaks up the extra dressing and turns a light salad into a full lunch.
Drinks
Thai Iced Tea
Sweet, milky iced tea cools the chilli heat and is the classic drink with a sharp Thai salad.
Vegetables
Cucumber Salad
Cool cucumber with a little vinegar gives a calm, crunchy contrast to the hot-sour mango.
Soups
Tom Yum Soup
A small bowl of hot-sour tom yum before the salad sets up the same flavours at a warmer, richer pitch.
Complete menu
Serve the salad with jasmine rice and grilled chicken satay, then a cold Thai iced tea — the rice soaks up the dressing and the tea cools the chilli.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
Extra Fish Sauce at the Table
One serving already carries 651 mg of sodium, so more fish sauce on top pushes one lunch too far. Taste before you add anything. This is general food information, not medical advice.
Very Sweet Drinks Alongside
The salad already carries 20.2 g of sugar from the mango and palm sugar, so a sweetened drink doubles the sugar of the meal — unsweetened iced tea is the better choice. This is general food information, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
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