Thai cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Som Tam

Green papaya salad from the mortar – spicy, sour, salty, sweet and irresistibly crunchy.

Ingredients · for 2 servings

• 300 g green papaya (kohlrabi as a substitute)
• 1 carrot
• 100 g cherry tomatoes
• 60 g green beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2–4 Thai chilies
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp palm sugar
• 40 g peanuts
• 1 tbsp dried shrimp (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel the papaya and carrot and shred or slice them into fine matchsticks.
2. Pound the garlic and chilies in a mortar, add the palm sugar and work it in until dissolved.
3. Add the pieces of beans and halved tomatoes and lightly bruise them.
4. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice.
5. Add the papaya and carrot matchsticks in batches and work them in gently with the pestle – bruise and turn, don't pulverize.
6. Taste and adjust: spicy-sour-salty-sweet must be in balance.
7. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and serve immediately – classically with sticky rice.