Title: Som Tam Thai (Green Papaya Salad)
Categories: Salads, Thai
Yield: 4 Servings
2 Bird's eye chilies; up to 5
2 tb Unsalted roast peanuts or
- cashew nuts
1 tb Dried shrimp or prawns;
- soaked in warm water for
- 5 minutes and drained
5 cl Garlic
10 oz Unripe green papaya
- (300 g); peeled and
- shredded using a sharp
- knife or vegetable grater
1/2 c Long beans or green beans
- (50 g); cut in 1/2"
- (1 cm) pieces
6 Ripe cherry tomatoes;
- quatered -OR-
1 lg Tomato; in wedges
3 tb Lime juice
1 tb Palm sugar; chopped -OR-
1 tb Dark brown sugar
1 tb Fish sauce
2 c Raw vegetables; (cabbage,
- water spinach, broccoli,
- asparagus)
3 Thai basil sprigs
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Originally an Isan dish from the northeast, this healthy mixture of
raw vegetables is now prepared by roadside vendors all over the
country. Som Tam captures the essential flavors of Thailand: chili
hot, redolent with garlic and fish sauce, and sour with lime juice.
The basic ingredient, unripe papaya, contrasts in texture with
crunchy raw beans and peanuts. If unripe papaya is not available,
very thinly sliced cabbage may be substituted.
Take the chilies, peanuts, dried shrimp, and garlic and pound roughly
in a mortar and pestle or process very briefly in a blender. The
mixture should be coarse, not smooth.
Combine the mixture in a bowl with the shredded papaya, beans, and
tomato. Mix well and add the lime juice, palm sugar, and fish sauce.
Serve accompanied by other raw vegetables (cabbage, water spinach,
broccoli, or asparagus) and sprigs of Thai basil. For a complete meal
add glutinous rice and BBQ chicken.
Note: Prepare the salad immediately before serving, otherwise the
papaya will lose its firm texture.
