Thai Green Papaya Salad
Originating from ethnic Lao people, this spicy salad is a delicious appetizer. It is eaten throughout South-Asia and you’ll find it in a few different forms in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia.
Ingredients · Servings 2
- 2 cloves peeled garlic (to taste)
- pinch sea salt
- 2-4 Thai bird chillies (to taste)
- 5 cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon dried prawns (soaked and drained)
- 1 slice of lime
- 1 tablespoon toasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup snake beans (cut to 4 cm/ 1 ½ inch pieces)
- 2 cups green papaya (shredded)
- 3 tablespoons palm sugar
- 4 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons tamarind water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- large pinch chilli powder
Method · 25 min
- In a mortar & pestle pound the garlic with salt.
- Cut the tomatoes in half then toss into the mortar and crush with pestle along with the dried prawns, lime slice, peanuts and snake beans.
- Add the green papaya and bruise – do not over work.
- Season with palm sugar, lime juice, tamarind water, fish sauce and chilli powder – initially only use about 2/3s of each. Adding more as needed to hone and finish the seasoning.
- It should taste sweet and sour, hot then salty.
- Soak equal parts tamarind paste into warm water. Allow to soak 10 minutes.
- Using your fingers, mash the tamarind well into the water until it feels completely soft.
- Next, strain the tamarind water into a fresh bowl and squeeze out as much extract from the pulp as possible. The tamarind water is now ready for use in curries and many other things that require a tangy or sour flavour.
This green papaya salad recipe is provided by Chef David Thompson, a fantastic chef specialized in Thai food, and it is absolutely amazing. You can enjoy his delicious Thai dishes in one of Sydney’s best Thai restaurants – Long Chim.