Green papaya salad is the most popular dish in Thailand. It is a North Eastern food that is eaten with sticky rice and other dishes such as larb, beef salad and bamboo shoot salad.

The two most popular types of green papaya salad have either dried shrimp or salted crab. Green papaya salad with dried shrimp and peanuts is called som tum thai. The green papaya salad with salted crab is called som tum pbooh. The majority of the ingredients are the same. My mother likes it with both dried shrimp and salted crab.

In Australia you can add beef into your green papaya salad and it taste wonderful too.


INGREDIENTS

5 Cherry Tomatoes optional
6 green beans or snake beans
2 cups shredded green papaya, carrot, capsicum slices
200g beef slices – slightly stir-fry
½ cup of herbs such such as mint, coriander, Vietnamese mint, spring onion

SALAD DRESSING

1 table spoons of curry paste
2 table spoons of vegetable oil
2 table spoons of fish sauce
1 table spoon of palm sugar
1 lime juice only

GARNISH

Chilli slices, Thai basil
2 tablespoons toasted peanuts Optiona

METHODS

Julienne all the vegetables and pick the herbs and place them in a bowl.
Pour water over the salad and rinse them well.
Add the salad dressing and serve.

NOTES

Some people use tamarind in place of lime. Regular sugar can be substituted for palm sugar. I normally remove the peanuts because I prefer that way.

The balance of fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar and chilli here are guidelines. Som tum is an individual dish that you will find your taste will be different with other

Many Asian supermarkets have whole green papaya, the papaya can be peeled and shredded using a regular cheese grater. Do not use white seeds inside as it can be bitter.