It’s that time of year again, when we kick off a new year with new resolutions. A revamped diet and exercise regimen tops many people’s list, and so the hunt begins to refine our personal cookbooks with recipes that will ensure success.
In this series, we ask local culinary professionals to dish out the details on some of their favorite creations. Today, we talk with Putu Arsana of Nori Thai and Sushi, 4704 Cahaba River Road.
Photo by Sydney Cromwell.
Nori Thai
Nori Thai and Sushi owner Putu Arsana holds a dish of his spicy beef salad.
Q: How long have you been cooking?
A: Nori Thai opened in 2013, but I have been working in restaurants for 25 years.
Q: What do you like about working there?
A: I am the owner and oversee the kitchen. We use family recipes and make our own sauces, which gives us a unique flavor.
Q: What’s your recommendation for a delicious meal that won’t ruin your New Year’s resolution diet?
A: Spicy beef salad.
Q: Why do you like this dish?
A: “It’s very simple, fresh and healthy,” Arsana said. He added that the meal is a favorite of his wife, who will eat it “three times a day.” “It satisfies your cravings and balances being a carnivore and your healthy way of life,” Arsana said.
Spicy Beef Salad
Serves one
► 5-ounce steak (Arsana recommends a flank steak)
► Your preferred salad ingredients
► ½ dinner spoon (roughly ½ tablespoon) lime juice
► ½ dinner spoon fish sauce
► 1 dinner spoon sugar (Arsana prefers palm sugar)
► 1 to 1½ dinner spoon Thai chili paste
► ½ cup red onion
► ½ cup sliced cucumber, no seeds
► Tomato slices, to taste
► 2-3 mint sprigs
1. Marinate steak as desired. Arsana uses soy sauce in the versions he cooks at Nori Thai and at home. Grill to taste — Arsana recommends medium-rare — and allow the steak to rest about one minute to preserve juiciness.
2. Combine lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chili paste to create the dressing.
3. Add onion, cucumber, tomato and mint to dressing.
4. Cut steak and combine with dressing.
5. Spoon steak and dressing over salad to serve.
TIPS
Many of these ingredients can be found at an Asian market. Arsana also recommended adding crushed, roasted peanuts as a garnish for extra flavor.
