Green Papaya Salad - Som Tum
Green papaya salad is the most popular dish among women in Thailand according to a survey. It is a Northeastern food that is eaten with sticky rice and other Northeastern dishes such as laab, beef salad and bamboo shoot salad.
Green papaya salad is the most popular dish among women in Thailand according to a survey. It is a Northeastern food that is eaten with sticky rice and other Northeastern dishes such as laab, beef salad and bamboo shoot salad.
- Carbohydrate 37.7516300001292 g
- Cholesterol 10.6400000215869 mg
- Fat 3.79891750024569 g
- Fiber 6.24839998286963 g
- Protein 6.6595000028844 g
- Saturated Fat 0.558563750046582 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (316g)
- Sodium 1171.13675002102 mg
- Sugar 31.5032300172596 g
- Trans Fat 0.344621500068169 g
- Calories 193 calories
Step-by-step
- Many Asian supermarkets have shredded green papaya and that is what I use. However, if you can only find whole green papaya, the papaya can be peeled and shreded using a regular cheese grater with medium to large sized holes. When you get closer to the center, you will see the white immature seeds inside. Stop and move onto another part of the papaya. Discard any seeds that got into your bowl.
- In Thailand, green papaya salad is made using a clay mortar, wooden pestle and a spatula. Smash a clove of garlic first. Then add green beans and halved cherry tomatoes. Pound a few times just to bruise the beans and get the juice out of the tomatoes. Add chili peppers and crush them just enough to release the hotness, unless you like your salad really hot. Add the green papaya, dried shrimp, toasted peanuts, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Use the pestle to push the mixture up in the mortar and the spatula to push it down so that the mixture is mixed well.
- However, if you do not have a big enough mortar you can crush garlic, tomatoes, green beans. Set them aside in a large bowl. Add dried shrimp, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar to the bowl. Add green papaya and mix well. Serve with sticky rice and a sliver of cabbage, green beans and Thai basil.
Pounding green papaya in a mortar requires exact force control to avoid turning crisp strands into mush. Many kitchen tests fail because cooks pulverize the ingredients instead of bruising them. The technique relies on a rhythmic motion that fractures cellular walls just enough to release juices without destroying structural integrity. Green papaya must remain firm and rigid against the teeth, offering significant resistance upon the first bite. If the fruit feels soft or pliable before preparation, discard it, as immature papayas require absolute crispness to hold up against acidic lime juice and salty fish sauce.
Sequencing and Equipment Dynamics
Traditional preparation utilizes a clay mortar and wooden pestle, but a standard mixing bowl works if equipment constraints exist. Garlic and chili peppers demand initial crushing to release aromatic compounds before liquids enter the vessel. Tomatoes require only a gentle press to expel interior moisture without liquefying entirely. When introducing palm sugar, ensure complete dissolution into the lime juice and fish sauce mixture before adding solids. Dried shrimp contribute concentrated umami but absorb moisture rapidly, meaning the dish must be consumed within twenty minutes of assembly to prevent sogginess.
- Stop grating when reaching the white seeds, as immature seeds impart bitterness.
- Pound green beans lightly until bruised, roughly three to four impacts per bean.
- Toast peanuts until golden brown at medium heat to activate natural oils.
- Serve immediately alongside room temperature sticky rice.
