Thai papaya salad is not only appetising, it's one of the most versatile salads in Thai cuisine.The papaya salad is one of the more popular salads in Thai cuisine, and it is also one of the most versatile. After the base, which is the papaya salad, is prepared, the topping that is added is what
makes each som tam so unique. In Bangkok, for example, som tam is usually served with crispy grilled fish, or even soft-shelled crab.
This som tam recipe, which literally translates to “sour pounded”, is prepared together with some salted egg, and is a Rama V signature dish.
Serving: 1-2 pax
Difficuly: Easy
Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
120g green papaya, sliced
5g bird's-eye chillies (cili padi)
5g garlic
20g long beans
30g cherry tomatoes
15g dried shrimp
40g peanuts, crushed
10g carrots, sliced
1 salted egg, diced
Sauce:
80ml lime or tamarind sauce
80ml fish sauce
120g palm sugar
1 tsp chicken stock powder
Method:
To prepare the sauce:
1. Boil the lime (or tamarind) juice, fish sauce, palm sugar and chicken stock powder in a pot over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes. It will turn a golden brown once cooked. Remove from the
heat and set aside.
To prepare the salad:
1. Peel and slice the green papaya and set aside.
2. Grind the bird's-eye chillies and garlic using a mortar and pestle. Add the long beans and continue to grind.
3. Then, add the cooked sauce, cherry tomatoes, dried shrimp and peanuts and mix lightly until well combined.
4. Add the sliced papaya and carrots and mix thoroughly.
5. Dice the salted egg and mix it into the salad with a spoon.
Tips:
1. Be sure to remove all the skin from the papaya (no green left), or else your salad may taste slightly bitter.
2. Remember not to use high heat when cooking the sauce, as the palm sugar may burn and become bitter.
*This recipe can be found along with other Thai food recipes in the Rama V cookbook, now available at leading bookstores.
**If you'd like to share your recipes with other cooking enthusiasts, send them to [email protected].
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