Thai | Green Papaya Salad

Posted on August 18, 2016

Green papaya can be found at Asian supermarkets.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoons palm sugar (or light brown sugar)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 small garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced

2 green Thai chiles, thinly sliced, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons small dried shrimp, plus more to taste (optional)

2 tablespoons unsalted roasted peanuts

3 yard-long beans or 10 green beans, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

3/4 pound (about 3 cups) unripe green papaya, peeled and julienned on a mandolin

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half

 

Method

In a small bowl combine sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Stir to dissolve the palm sugar and set aside.

In a large mortar, roughly pound the garlic and chiles. Add the dried shrimp and continue pounding to form a paste. Add the peanuts and beans and gently pound to break up the peanuts and bruise the beans. Add the papaya and tomatoes, pressing gently with the pestle to bruise the vegetables.

Add the reserved palm sugar mixture to the mortar and toss to combine, being sure to scoop up all of the crushed ingredients at the bottom. Stir well and serve at room temperature.

 

(Ref. Sur La Table's "Green Papaya Salad" recipe, "Fabulous Thai Flavors" class.)