Ingredients:

  • 2 cups (280g) shredded green papaya, peeled and seeded
  • 1/2 cup (50g) cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup (30g) long beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/4 cup (40g) roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 2-3 Thai bird's eye chilies, stemmed
  • 1/4 cup (30g) dried shrimp (optional) rehydrated
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (Nam Pla)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon palm sugar (or brown sugar), grated
  • 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (Kapi) optional
  • 8-12 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Shred the green papaya using a vegetable peeler or mandoline. Soak in ice water to maintain crispness, then drain well.
  2. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly, then coarsely chop.
  3. If using, grill the shrimp until pink and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  4. In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar (or brown sugar), and shrimp paste (if using). Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  5. In the mortar, pound the garlic and chilies into a coarse paste.
  6. Add the long beans and tomatoes to the mortar and gently bruise them with the pestle.
  7. Add the shredded green papaya, peanuts, and dried shrimp (if using) to the mortar. Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss everything together with the pestle, being careful not to over-mash the papaya.
  8. Transfer the Som Tum to a serving plate. Garnish with extra peanuts and serve immediately, preferably with sticky rice.