Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

For the Salad

1 small green (unripe) papaya (about 500g), peeled and finely julienned

100g green beans, cut into 3–4cm lengths

150g cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, roughly crushed, plus extra for garnish

Fresh coriander leaves, to garnish

For the Dressing

5 bird's eye chillies (or to taste)

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons palm sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce (or pla ra)

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

PREPARATION

COOKING

1. Peel the green papaya, remove any seeds, then cut into fine matchsticks. Alternatively, use a julienne peeler if preferred. Trim the green beans and cut them into short lengths. Halve the cherry tomatoes and roughly crush the roasted peanuts. Juice the lime.

2. Place the bird's eye chillies and garlic into a large clay mortar (or sturdy pestle and mortar).

3. Gently pound them into a rough paste. 

4. Add the palm sugar and continue bruising while pouring in the lime juice to help dissolve the sugar.

5. Stir in the tamarind paste and fish sauce until the dressing is well combined.

6. Add the green beans and cherry tomatoes, gently bruising them with the pestle to release some of their juices without crushing them completely.

7. Add the shredded green papaya in batches, lightly bruising and tossing as you go so it absorbs the dressing.

8. Fold through the dried shrimp.

9. Mix in half of the crushed peanuts.

10. Taste and adjust the balance of sweet, sour, salty and spicy if needed.

11. Transfer to a serving plate.

12. Garnish with the remaining crushed peanuts and fresh coriander before serving immediately.

School of Wok Tips

 A clay mortar and wooden pestle are traditional for Som Tam, allowing you to bruise the ingredients gently rather than crushing them into a paste.

• Green papaya has very little flavour on its own, making it the perfect carrier for the bold dressing. • If green papaya is unavailable, green mango or even julienned swede (rutabaga) makes an excellent substitute.

• The key to authentic Som Tam is achieving a balance of sweet, sour, salty, spicy and umami—taste and adjust before serving.

FAQs Can I make Som Tam vegetarian? Yes. Replace the fish sauce with a vegetarian fish sauce or light soy sauce, and omit the dried shrimp.

Is Som Tam always very spicy? Not necessarily. The spice level is easily adjusted by increasing or reducing the number of bird's eye chillies.

Why are the vegetables bruised instead of simply mixed? Lightly bruising the papaya, beans and tomatoes helps them absorb the dressing while releasing some of thei