Som Tam (Green Papaya Salad)

Ingredients

• 1 whole medium green papaya, peeled and seeded
• 2 whole long green Thai chiles (or 1-2 serrano chiles for less heat)
• 3 cloves garlic cloves
• 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 100 g long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces (or green beans)
• ¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce
• ½ tablespoon palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. 1

   Using a vegetable peeler or knife, peel the tough outer skin from a medium green papaya until you reach the pale green flesh. Cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the small black seeds with a spoon. Using a julienne peeler or the large holes of a box grater, shred the papaya flesh into thin, matchstick-like strands until you have about 2 cups. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.

2. 2

   Using a mortar and pestle (this is key for releasing flavors), add 3 peeled garlic cloves and 2 whole long green Thai chiles — leave the chiles intact to control heat levels. Gently pound them together just until bruised and aromatic, about 20-30 seconds. You want to coax out the flavors without creating a paste. The mortar and pestle technique keeps the dish authentic and gives you better flavor control than mincing.

3. 3

   Add 100 grams of long beans (cut into 2-inch pieces) and about 150 grams of cherry tomatoes (halved) to the mortar. Using the pestle, lightly bruise and toss everything together just 3-4 times — you're not trying to break things down, just to gently release their juices and let them get acquainted with the aromatics. This should take just 15-20 seconds.

4. 4

   Pour the lime juice (3 tablespoons), fish sauce (1.5 tablespoons), and palm sugar (0.5 tablespoon) directly into the mortar. Stir gently with the pestle to dissolve the sugar, then taste a small bite — it should hit you with bright lime, savory funk from the fish sauce, and a lingering heat from the chiles. Adjust to your preference: add more lime for brightness, more fish sauce for depth, or more sugar to temper the heat.

5. 5

   Transfer the entire mixture from the mortar to the bowl with the shredded papaya. Using your hands or a wooden spoon, toss everything together gently but thoroughly, about 15-20 seconds, until the papaya is coated with dressing and everything is evenly mixed. The papaya will wilt very slightly and soak up the dressing.

6. 6

   Divide the som tam between two serving bowls. Top each with 0.125 cup of roughly chopped unsalted roasted peanuts and a generous handful of fresh cilantro leaves. Serve immediately — this salad is best eaten right away while the vegetables still have a slight crunch. The flavors will remain vibrant for about 30 minutes, but the texture degrades as the papaya continues to soften.

Tools you’ll need

• vegetable peeler or sharp knife
• large spoon
• julienne peeler or box grater
• large mixing bowl
• mortar and pestle (3-4 cup capacity)
• wooden spoon or clean hands
• two serving bowls

More recipes like this

• 

  Thai Mango Crunch Salad

  15 min

• 

  Crunchy Thai Peanut Slaw

  15 min

• 

  5-Min Som Tum Green Papaya Salad

  15 min

• 

  10-Min Green Papaya Salad

  10 min