Spicy Pomelo Salad With Chili and Cilantro
Transform a fresh giant pomelo citrus fruit into this delicious spicy pomelo salad. This recipe combines sweet tart pomelo pearls with red onion, chili and cilantro and a hint of lime. Inspired by Asian salads and traditional Indian pomelo chaat recipes, this pomelo salad looks as good as it tastes.
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What is a pomelo?
Also known as a shaddock, pomelo/pummelo (Citrus maxima) is the largest of all the citrus fruit. Pomelos are round or pear-shaped, with green to yellow skin, very thick pith and pink or yellow flesh, depending on the variety.
Pomelos are the ancestors of modern citrus fruits like grapefruit and bitter oranges. They havea similar taste to grapefruit, but milder and sweeter. Pink fleshed pomelos such as Carter’s Red or Chandler are usually sweeter than the yellow flesh varieties. The flesh of a pomelo is also unique, as each segment can be separated into separate juice vesicles or ‘pearls” of fruit. Read more about pomelos and how to use them.
Types of pomelo salads
Pomelo can be used in any salad in much the same way as oranges, grapefruit or other citrus. Segments of pomelo add a splash of colour and and a sweet-tart grapefruit like flavour.
As pomelos grow in tropical climates, they are a popular ingredient in different types of Asian cuisines. Vietnamese and Thai style dishes (such as Yum Som O) pair pomelo with ingredients like chili, lime, prawn/shrimp, fish sauce, fried shallots and peanuts. Indian pomelo salads (chakotra chaat) have regional variations, but often include pomelo flavoured with salt, garlic and chili.
This spicy pomelo salad is inspired by these different cuisines and flavours and combines pomelo with with green chili, red onion, coriander (cilantro), salt, sugar and a hint of lime. It’s also naturally vegan and gluten free.
Spicy pomelo salad ingredients
To make this spicy pomelo salad you’ll need:
- 1 ripe pomelo (preferably red/pink)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
- 1 green chili, seeds and pith removed, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- Additional cilantro/coriander and lime wedges to garnish
While this salad has some heat from the green chili, it isn’t overly hot. Adjust to taste by using less chili for a milder version, or leave the seeds in for more heat.
Method
The most time consuming part of this recipe is peeling the pomelo. Peeling a pomelo is a bit of an art. If you haven’t done it before, make sure you allow plenty of time for this step.
Prepare the pomelo
First you’ll need to remove the skin and most of the thick white pith. The easiest way to do this is to slice off the top of the pomelo first. Then make a series of vertical cuts through the skin from top to bottom around the fruit. Using your fingers, pull away each wedge of skin and pith created by the cuts, until you expose just the round ball of flesh in the centre.
After removing as much of the outer pith as possible, break the flesh into its large segments, Next, remove the outer membranes from each segement and separate the smaller pearls of fruit inside with your fingers. (As this salad uses broken up pomelo segments, you won’t need to be quite as careful with this step as you might need to if you wanted to use the whole segments in a dish.) Do this step over a large bowl so that you catch any juice.
Assemble the salad
In a large bowl, combine the pomelo, chopped red onion, chopped green chili. chopped cilantro/coriander leaves, salt, sugar and lime juice and stir well to combine.
If planning to enjoy straight away, transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with extra cilantro (coriander) and lime wedges.
Otherwise, cover well and store in the fridge until needed, allowing the pomelo to absorb the flavours more.
Serves 6.
Making ahead and storage
This spicy pomelo salad is best enjoyed the same day, or made the night before you need it. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. But the salt in the recipe can cause the pomelo to release more juice and the salad may get soggy or even a little bitter if left too long.
More pomelo and fresh citrus granita recipes
For more unique pomelo recipes and ideas, see our post on 9 ways to use pomelo. Or for other unique citrus recipes, you’ll love our honeydew melon and yuzu granita, spicy blood lime pickle, blood orange cookies and citrus fruit salad with vanilla cardamom syrup using pink grapefruit and tangelo.
There are lots more tasty citrus recipes to try on our recipes page.
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Spicy Pomelo Salad With Chili and Cilantro
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 chopping board
- 1 citrus juicer
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 ripe pomelo (preferably pink/red)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
- 1 green chili, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- Extra cilantro/coriander and lime wedges to garnish
Instructions
Prepare the pomelo
- Peel the pomelo by removing the skin and most of the thick white pith. The easiest way to do this is to slice off the top of the pomelo first. Then make a series of vertical cuts through the skin from top to bottom around the fruit. Using your fingers, pull away each wedge of skin and pith created by the cuts, until you expose just the round ball of flesh in the centre.
- After removing as much of the outer pith as possible, break the flesh into its large segments, Next, remove the outer membranes from each segement and separate the smaller pearls of fruit inside with your fingers. Do this step over a large bowl so that you catch any juice.
Assemble the salad
- In a large bowl, combine the pomelo, chopped red onion, chopped green chili. chopped coriander leaves, salt, sugar and lime juice and stir well to combine.
- Transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with extra cilantro (coriander) and lime wedges.
