Thai Papaya Salad
Last night was my first attempt at making a Thai papaya salad, also known as, som tum, and it turned out better than expected. Although, I'll openly admit, I was nervous. When you make a new dish and have no prior experience, it's an open ticket to channeling your inner anxiety. Luckily, fusing a bunch of YouTube recipes worked out great and I was able to come up with a veg-friendly preparation that won over our palettes!
SERVES
2-4 persons; 4 portions
INGREDIENTS
Green Papaya * 1 pc
Red Chilly * 1 pc
Garlic * 1 clove
Water * 1 cup
Lime * 1 pc
Sugar * 2 tbsp
Peanuts * 1/2 cup
Soy Sauce * 2 tbsp
Thai Basil * 10 leaves
Green Beans * 10 pcs
Shredded Carrot * 1 cup
PREPS
- Peel the papaya and shred into thin long strips.
- Toss the strips into a bowl of icy water. Drain and dry after 5 minutes.
- Put palm sugar in a pan of water and heat until you get a semi-fluid sweet syrup. Let it cool.
- Put the sweet syrup, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, chopped beans, chilles, and garlic in the mortar. With a pestle, blend until the taste turns into a fine balance of spicy, sweet, and tangy notes.
- Store the dressing in a jar and add a lemon peel.
MAKING IT
1. Add 1/4 of the dressing to the papaya and coat it fully. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
2. Once the strips turn change colour, squeeze out the dressing.
3. Add crushed peanuts to the papaya and mix the salad well.
4. Chill for 30 minutes to get a nice crunch.
5. Garnish with basil, dressing, and serve.
