One hour before you begin to make this salad, immerse the bitter melon slices in a bowl of salt water (water and two teaspoons of salt) for a minimum of one hour although several hours will remove more bitterness, and in a small separate dish soak the dried shrimp in water.

In a glass jar with a screw-cap, make the Vietnamese salad dressing by combining the lime juice, caster sugar, fish sauce, two finely chopped garlic cloves, and finely sliced bird’s eye chilli, screwing the lid on tight, and shaking the dressing well to dissolve the sugar, then set aside.

Drain the dried shrimp, pat dry and set aside, then heat the cooking oil in a small frying pan, fry the shrimp for five minutes or so until crisp, add two finely chopped cloves of garlic, combine, and fry for another few minutes or so. Stir continuously so that the garlic browns and is fragrant, but doesn’t burn, then transfer to a small cold dish and set aside.

Drain the bitter melon slices and pat dry, then transfer to a large mixing bowl with the julienned carrot and cucumber/daikon, fried shrimp and garlic mixture, salad dressing, half the fresh mint, and one tablespoon of roasted peanuts, and combine well.

Transfer to a serving bowl or plate and garnish with the remaining peanuts and fresh mint.