Spicy Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
Spicy Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
There is as many ways to make Som Tam as there is shades of white paint. This is a base recipe only but should get you in the ballpark of what Som Tam is and how it is made. My mother in law makes Som Tam her way, my wife makes it her way, and my daughter can make it her way, all three will be slightly different, and none of them share their secrets.
Ingredients
- 2 cups green papaya, shredded
- 1 plum tomato, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, use real lime juice from a lime
- 1 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons palm sugar
- 15 Bird's Eye Chilis, this is really up to you, go with 2-3 for less spicy
- 2-3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
- 3 tablespoons dried shrimp
- 2-3 small freshwater crabs, optional
Instructions
- Peel the papaya, cut in half, remove seeds, and shred. Set aside.
- Chop the garlic, and chilies, add to a mortar and pound well. Then add the dried shrimp and pound until soft, then add the roasted peanuts and gently pound. Add chopped tomatoes and gently crush those then use a spoon to mix everything together. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the lime juice, fish sauce and palm sugar. Add this to a large mixing bowl, then add the shredded papaya and the mixture from the mortar, and mix together. Spoon onto a plate and serve with sliced cucumber and sticky rice.
Notes
This is low cost and for rural areas, rarely bought prepared as nearly everyone grows papayas and chilies.
For the freshwater crabs, these are the small purple ones that are normally preserved in soy sauce or fish sauce, add these to the mortar and simple pound them to break the main shell slightly.
Basic recipe.
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