Thai Green Papaya Salad
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle in your kitchen, put all the ingredients in a ziploc bag and pound away with a rolling pin or similar implement.
Ingredients
- 170g (6 oz) Green Papaya Strands (from a small green papaya)
- 6 Cherry Tomatoes - halved
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) Roasted Peanuts
- 2 tbsp Dried Shrimp
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) Long Beans - cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) stick
- 1 Bird's Eye Chili
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) Fresh Lime Juice
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Good Thai Fish Sauce
- One clove Garlic
- 3 tsp Palm sugar or to taste
Instructions
- lb garlic and chilies in the pestle and mortar until they form a smooth paste.
- Add dried shrimp and palm sugar and lb until the pieces are broken up, but not completely pulverized. The palm sugar is added now because you want to lb it to a paste so that it can be dissolved more easily and blend more readily with the other ingredients added later.
- Add the peanuts and lightly lb until they are broken into tiny pieces.
- Add the green beans and crush them with the mortar until they’re splitting and lightly bruised. If your pestle and mortar is small like mine, pour out the contents into a big mixing bowl.
- Add the papaya and tomatoes into the pestle and mortar and lb on them. Pounding the papaya strands will soften up a bit so they can soak up the seasonings more readily.
- Add a couple of tsp of fish sauce and a couple of tsp of lime juice to the mix.
- Use a large spoon with the other hand to help flip things over in and scrape down the sides of the mortar while your other hand lb away with the pestle. Keep pounding and flipping for a few seconds.
- Pour everything into the mixing bowl and use your hands to mix and squeeze all the flavours together. Taste for seasoning. Add more fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar as needed.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Thai
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 130
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a mortar and pestle to make this salad?
No. The recipe excerpt specifically notes that if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can put all the ingredients in a zip-lock bag and pound them with a rolling pin or similar implement to bruise and mix the ingredients.
Why does the recipe call for pounding the papaya strands?
The instructions explain that pounding the green papaya strands softens them slightly so they absorb the fish sauce, lime juice, and palm sugar seasonings more readily, rather than remaining stiff and bland.
What is palm sugar and can I use regular sugar instead?
Palm sugar is an unrefined sugar made from palm sap with a caramel-like, slightly earthy sweetness common in Thai cooking. The recipe calls for 3 tsp, added early and pounded into a paste so it dissolves easily into the salad. Regular granulated sugar can be used as a substitute, though the flavor will be slightly less complex. 
I love Som Tam and look forward to trying your recipe out.
Just one question: would you cook the dried shrimps before adding them or are they fine to eat raw?
Thanks :)
Yum! This looks soooo delicious. :)