You Asked For It: Padma Lakshmi’s Red Carpet Recipe

“Top Chef” has been heating up this summer with the help of host Padma Lakshmi.

Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson met up with the uber-sexy cuisine connoisseur, who is celebrating her best-selling cookbook “Easy Exotic.” On the Access set, Padma whipped up one of its easy, low-calorierecipes for Oriental Shirmp Salad!

“[When I have to hit] the red carpet and I want to get into that slinky dress I make this because it’s so healthy,” Padma explained.

At a little over 300 calories per serving and 36 grams of protein, this salad is satisfying and simple to make.

Step one: Shrimp Paste

1 cup mint leaves
1 onion
1 tsp cumin
12 black peppercorns
1 tbsp ginger
½ tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tsp tamarind paste

Blend the ingredients together, pour on to shrimp and let marinate.

Step 2: The Salad

The salad should be a mixture of your favorite vegetables and iceberg lettuce.

“It gives you that crisp, fresh bite and basically you want to toss these ingredients up.”

Step 3: Saute

Saute the shrimp for about 3-4 minutes.

Step 4: Dressing

2 tbsp Oriental sesame oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 dashes of Oriental chili oil

“We have toasted sesame oil, which gives you that nice Asian, smoky flavor. You have lemon juice, you have a little bit of vinegar,” Padma said. “I put soy sauce in there also and I like chili oil”

Finally, pour the dressing on to the salad. Add cooked shrimp, sprinkle with sesame seeds and in less than 30 minutes, enjoy.