ST. LOUIS — “In the Loei province of Thailand, green papaya salad is called Som Tum, with “som” meaning sour and “tum” referring to the pounding sound of the large pestle used to crush ingredients. Som Tum is eaten by itself, or with marinated grilled beef and chicken.”
Ingredients
1 large clove of garlic, peeled
¼ tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp salted peanuts, more for topping
1 Thai chili, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. dried shrimp (optional)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
8 grape tomatoes, coarsely chopped
½ pound long beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium green (unripe) papaya
Directions
- In a mortar, add garlic, salt, peanuts, a slice or two (to taste preferences) Thai chili, dried shrimp, lime juice and fish sauce, use the pestle to lightly incorporate. Add tomatoes and beans and use the pestle to lightly crush.
- Peel and coarsely grate or shred papaya, discarding seeds and inner membrane. There should be 4-6 cups of shredded papaya.
- Add shredded papaya to a bowl with the lightly crushed mixture and toss together to incorporate tastes. Once covered in juices, plate and top with more crushed peanuts for garnish.
For more information on Chao Baan, visit chaobaanstl.com.
