Julie and Julia and San Francisco's ethnic restaurants: Recipe for Burma Superstar's rainbow salad

You too can be a Burma Superstar with this recipe

A series of recipes from San Francisco's best ethnic restaurants would not be complete without featuring a little something from that stalwart of the Richmond, Burma Superstar.  When Bay Area denizens want to impress out- of-town guests with all that the area has to offer in terms of ethnic cuisine, Superstar inevitably makes the must-visit list.  But now, with this recipe for the restaurant's famous Rainbow Salad, home cooks can bring a little of that magic to their own kitchens.

Thanks to the chefs at Burma Superstar, this recipe, which has been featured on the Food Network, has been modified from its original 22 different ingredients to something a bit more manageable for making at home.  However, even with the alterations, the folks at Superstar have the following message before you take this on -"Be warned this dish has a huge mis en place to prep, exemplifying simplicity and complexity, texture and freshness. It’ll be worth it!"

BURMA SUPERSTAR'S RAINBOW SALAD
Serves 2-4 People

INGREDIENTS
For the salad
½ green papaya, julienned
1 cup cabbage, julienned
¼ cup Cilantro, chopped
¼ Carrot, julienned
½ Tomato, diced
3 tsp dried shrimp, ground
1 medium size Onion, julienned (½ keep raw, ½ to be fried)
1 cup blanched vermicelli
½ small potato, cooked and diced
3 lightly blanched string beans (soaked in cold water for crisp), diced
2 cup canola oil
2 tsp yellow bean powder*
¼ pkg firm tofu
2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
4 cloves garlic, sliced

For the dressing
4 Tbs garlic & onion oil
2 tsp tamarind paste
1/3 cup hot water
3 tsp fish sauce
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

DIRECTIONS
-Heat skillet. Roast yellow bean powder until golden. Remove.

-Wipe skillet with paper towel. Add 2 tsp canola oil and heat. Pan fry firm tofu until golden. Remove tofu and dice.

-Wipe skillet with paper towel. Add 2 tsp canola oil and heat. Add crushed red chili flakes and cook until aromatic.

-Wipe skillet with paper towel. Heat remaining oil for frying. Fry garlic until golden. Remove. Using same oil fry onion until golden. Remove onion and RESERVE OIL for dressing.

-Combine tamarind paste and hot water in a bowl. Add garlic & onion oil, fish sauce, salt, and sugar to make dressing. Mix well.

-Drizzle dressing over salad ingredients as needed and toss.

NOTE FROM CHEFS: Don’t be shy to mix the salad with your hands! In fact this salad is called “Hand Tossed Salad” in Burmese. Using your hands to mix the salad will bring out the flavors of each ingredient even more.

*Can be purchased at many Asian groceries.