4 June, 2018
Green Papaya Salad
(Som tam)
This Thai Food Recipe is healthy mixture of raw vegetables is now prepared by roadside vendors all over the county. Som tam captures the essential flavors of Thailand: chili hot, redolent with garlic and fish sauce, and sour with lime juice.
Ingredient
5 tablespoons oil
1 cake pressed bean curd, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon dried shrimps or prawns
1 tablespoon chopped pickled Chinese radish
10 oz (300 g) dried rice-stick noodles, soaked in warm water to soften
1 tablespoon dried chili flakes or ground red pepper
3 eggs
2 cups bean sprouts, cleaned
1/4 cup garlic chives or spring oinons, sliced into 1-in (2 cm) lengths
2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
5 oz (150 g) fresh prawns or shrimps, peeled and deveined, and grilled
Sauce
3 tablespoons shaved palm sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons tamarind pulp soaked in 1/2 cup water, then strained to remove seed and fibers
Preparation
Take the chilies, peanuts, dried shrimp and garlic and pound roughly in a mortar and pestle or process very briefly in a blender. The mixture should be coarse, not smooth.
Combine mixture in a bowl with the shredded papaya, bean and tomato. Mix well and add the lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce.
Serve accompanied by other row vegetables (cabbage, water spinach, broccoli or asparagus) and and sprigs of Thai basil. For a complete meal, add glutinous rice and Barbecued Chicken.
Prepare the salad immediately before serving, otherwise the papaya will lose it firm texture.
Hot or Mild upon to taste
Serve 4-6
Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes