📝 About This Recipe
Transport your senses to the bustling night markets of Bangkok with this iconic Green Papaya Salad. This dish is a masterful symphony of the four essential pillars of Thai cuisine: sour lime, salty fish sauce, fiery chilies, and sweet palm sugar. The crisp, shredded green papaya acts as a refreshing canvas for the punchy dressing, creating a salad that is as energizing as it is delicious.
🥗 Ingredients
The Base
- 1 medium Green Papaya (peeled and shredded into long, thin matchsticks)
- 1/2 cup Carrot (shredded for color)
- 4-5 pieces Long Beans (cut into 1-inch lengths)
- 6-8 pieces Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
The Aromatics & Dressing
- 2-3 pieces Garlic Cloves (peeled)
- 2-4 pieces Bird's Eye Chilies (adjust to preferred spice level)
- 1 tablespoon Dried Shrimp (rinsed and patted dry)
- 2 tablespoons Palm Sugar (finely chopped or shaved)
- 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce (high quality)
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Lime Juice (about 2 small limes)
- 1 teaspoon Tamarind Paste (optional, for depth of sourness)
The Garnish
- 2 tablespoons Roasted Peanuts (unsalted, crushed)
- 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro (leaves only)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
Prepare the green papaya by peeling the skin. Use a julienne peeler or a sharp knife to create long, thin, crisp shreds. Place the shredded papaya in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes to maximize crunch, then drain and dry thoroughly.
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2
In a large clay or wooden mortar, add the garlic cloves and bird's eye chilies. Pound them with a pestle until the garlic is crushed and the chilies have released their oils.
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3
Add the dried shrimp to the mortar and pound lightly to break them down into smaller, fibrous bits.
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4
Add the palm sugar to the mortar. Use the pestle to grind the sugar into the garlic-chiili paste until it begins to dissolve.
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5
Toss in the cut long beans. Bruise them gently with the pestle—you don't want to mash them, just crack them open so they absorb the dressing.
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6
Add the fish sauce, lime juice, and optional tamarind paste. Use a large spoon in one hand and the pestle in the other to stir and lightly pound the liquid, ensuring the sugar is completely dissolved.
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7
Add the cherry tomato halves. Gently bruise them with the pestle just until they release a bit of juice into the dressing.
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8
Add the shredded papaya and carrots to the mortar. This is the 'Som Tum' technique: use the spoon to lift the papaya from the bottom while lightly pounding with the pestle.
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9
Continue the pounding and mixing motion for about 1-2 minutes until the papaya has slightly softened and is thoroughly coated in the dressing.
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10
Taste the salad. It should be a perfect balance of spicy, sour, salty, and sweet. Adjust with more lime for sourness or fish sauce for saltiness if needed.
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11
Add half of the crushed peanuts and give it one final toss.
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12
Transfer to a serving plate, ensuring you pour all the flavorful juices from the mortar over the top.
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13
Garnish with the remaining peanuts and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately while the papaya is at its peak crunch.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use a green (unripe) papaya; a ripe one will be too soft and sweet for this dish. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can use a sturdy bowl and a rolling pin, though the texture will differ slightly. To keep the papaya extra crunchy, keep the shredded fruit in the fridge until the very moment you are ready to mix. Adjust the heat by removing chili seeds if you prefer a milder salad, or adding more for an authentic Thai 'kick'. Vegetarians can substitute fish sauce with a high-quality light soy sauce or 'vegan fish sauce' made from seaweed.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of Thai Sticky Rice (Khao Niew) to soak up the spicy dressing. Pair with grilled chicken (Gai Yang) or crispy pork belly for a complete Northeastern Thai meal. Add a wedge of raw green cabbage on the side to help cool down the palate between spicy bites. Enjoy with a cold Thai lager or a refreshing iced Hibiscus tea. Serve alongside fresh rice vermicelli noodles (Khanom Jeen) for a more filling lunch.