- 3 bird's-eye chillies, finely chopped, seeds optional
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 2 heaped tbsp palm sugar
- 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
- ½ lime, juice only
- 400g/14oz baby squid, tentacles reserved
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 20 garlic chives with flowers (or a bunch of chives), cut into 2.5cm/1in lengths
- 5 spring onions, trimmed, cut in half and quartered lengthways
- 5 Thai shallots (or 1 banana shallot), finely sliced
- 20 plum cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ cucumber, cut in half, seeds removed, thickly sliced
- large handful mint leaves
- handful Thai basil leaves (alternatively use normal basil)
- thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- For the dressing, grind the chillies and garlic together with the other dressing ingredients in a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
- For the salad, clean and prepare the squid, cutting it in half and keeping the tentacles. Remove the skin and score. Set aside.
- Combine the garlic, garlic chives (or chives), spring onions, Thai shallots (or banana shallots), cherry tomatoes and cucumber in a large bowl with the fresh mint leaves and Thai basil leaves (or normal basil).
- Heat a wok or large frying pan with the vegetable and sesame oil. Once hot, fry the ginger and cook until just turning golden-brown. Add the squid and tentacles and cook for about another 1½ minutes, or until the squid has curled up and is just cooked.
- Add the dressing from the pestle and mortar to the hot squid and toss through, then add the hot squid to the salad and mix thoroughly, serve straightaway.