Description
Thai Green Papaya Salad, or Som Tum, is a vibrant and refreshing dish combining shredded green papaya with a spicy, tangy dressing made from garlic, bird eye chilies, dried shrimp, palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. This light and crunchy salad is complemented by roasted peanuts, snake beans, grape tomatoes, and garnished with fragrant Thai basil leaves. Perfect as a light meal or a side dish, it delivers a delightful balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy flavors typical of Thai cuisine.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp garlic, roughly chopped (about 10 normal or 4 large cloves)
- 6 bird eye chilies, roughly chopped with seeds (use fewer for less spicy)
- 6 tbsp dried shrimp
- 1 cup palm sugar, grated using a standard box grater, loosely packed
- 1/2 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup fish sauce
- 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
- 20 snake beans, cut into 5cm (2″) pieces (raw)
- 3 cups grape tomatoes, halved (~400g / 14oz)
- 500g (about 4 cups tightly packed) green papaya, shredded (approximately 1 medium or 2/3 large papaya)
- 1/2 cup Thai basil leaves
Instructions
- Crush peanuts: Place the roasted peanuts into a mortar and pestle. Lightly pound them until they break into largish pieces, ensuring they do not turn into powder. Transfer the crushed peanuts to a bowl for later use.
- Prepare garlic and chili paste: In the mortar, add chopped garlic and bird eye chilies. Pound them into a rough paste. Then add the dried shrimp and crush them lightly—there’s no need to grind into a paste; just break them up.
- Make the dressing: Stir the palm sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce into the garlic-chili-shrimp mixture until the palm sugar dissolves completely. Pour this dressing into a large mixing bowl.
- Braise snake beans: Add the cut snake beans into the mortar in batches if needed. Pound them to bruise and soften, splitting the beans slightly to release their flavor. Transfer the battered beans to the dressing bowl.
- Crush tomatoes: Take handfuls of halved grape tomatoes, crush them gently with your hands to release their juices, then add them to the bowl with the dressing and beans.
- Add papaya and peanuts: Add the shredded green papaya and three-quarters of the crushed peanuts to the bowl. Toss everything thoroughly using two wooden spoons or tongs until all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Serve immediately: Once well mixed, quickly pile the salad onto serving plates. Spoon any remaining dressing over the salad, garnish with Thai basil leaves, and sprinkle with the remaining crushed peanuts. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- Note 1: Adjust the number of bird eye chilies according to your preferred spice level.
- Note 2: Dried shrimp provides umami depth to the salad but can be omitted or substituted for a vegetarian option.
- Note 3: Using fresh palm sugar enhances the authentic sweetness, but brown sugar can be a substitute if unavailable.
- Note 4: Raw snake beans need pounding to release their flavors and soften them; this also adds texture.
- Note 5: Use a firm, unripe green papaya for the best crisp texture. Peel and shred finely.
- Note 6: Thai basil leaves add a distinctive aroma and flavor; if unavailable, sweet basil may be used but it will alter the flavor profile.
- Note 7: Serve the salad immediately after tossing to retain the crispness of ingredients and freshness of flavors.
