Som Tum (Thai Green Papaya Salad)

Crunchy, spicy, sour, sweet — Thailand's most popular salad.

Ingredients

• 2 cups green papaya, shredded (or shredded carrots + cabbage as substitute)
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Thai bird's eye chiles
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, crushed
• Dried shrimp (optional)

Method

1. Pound garlic and chiles in a mortar and pestle (or mince finely).

2. Add green beans, bruise lightly. Add tomatoes, bruise lightly.

3. Add fish sauce, lime juice, sugar. Mix.

4. Add shredded papaya. Toss and pound lightly to bruise and absorb dressing.

5. Top with crushed peanuts.

What You're Practicing

• The mortar and pestle is traditional — the bruising releases juices and melds flavors.
• Green papaya is unripe and crunchy — completely different from sweet ripe papaya.
• If you can't find green papaya, shredded carrots and cabbage work well.