Som Tom: Thai green papaya salad

ingredients:                                                                                                            
 
  • 1 ½- 2 pounds green papaya, grated into  long, this strips
  • 8-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1-3 garlic cloves
  • 1- 1 ½ “ ginger (young as possible) chopped
  • 2 each Thai red and green bird chilies
  • 1-3 scallions, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried shrimp
  • 3 tablespoons blanched, roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 ½ tablespoon palm sugar
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • ¼ pound Chinese long beans, blanched and cut into 4” lengths
  • cilantro sprigs
  • lettuce leaves
 
instructions:                                                                                                                      


Green papaya is very firm. Traditionally, it is pounded in a clay mortar to soften the fibers so that it will absorb the flavors of the other ingredients when making this salad. If you do not have a mortar, you can achieve a similar affect by alternately mixing and squeezing the papaya with the other ingredients in a bowl.

In a mortar, begin by pounding the garlic, ginger, and chilies. Once a paste, add the palm sugar with a small amount of the papaya. Add more papaya as the ingredients begin to soften. Next, add the shrimp and cherry tomatoes along with more papaya. Continue until all of the papaya has been added. Next, add the peanuts and long beans. Lastly, mix in the fish sauce and the lime juice. Correct seasoning to taste (hot, sour, salty, sweet)

Serve on a platter lined with lettuce leaves. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

This salad is delicious as is, however, in Northern Thailand, it is traditionally served with sticky rice.



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