Som Tam Green Papaya Salad

Thai · Summer · 20 min · Serves 2 · By Theo Lindqvist

Som tam is sour, sweet, salty, and hot all at once, bruised together in a mortar so the dressing soaks into the papaya. The rhythm of the pestle matters more than precision, so taste as you go and chase the balance you like. It is street food at its sharpest and a study in how few ingredients can carry so much flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Thai bird's eye chiles
• 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 long beans, cut into short lengths
• 1 tablespoon palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 300g green papaya, peeled and shredded

Method

1. Pound the garlic and chiles in a large mortar to a rough paste. Add the peanuts and crack them lightly, then tip half out to use as garnish.
2. Add the tomatoes and long beans and bruise them gently so they release their juices without turning to mush.
3. Add the palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Pound and stir until the sugar dissolves into a balanced dressing.
4. Add the shredded papaya. Pound lightly with one hand while turning the mixture with a spoon, so the papaya softens and soaks up the dressing.
5. Taste and adjust with more lime, fish sauce, or sugar until it sings. It should be bracingly sour and a little sweet.
6. Pile onto a plate, scatter the reserved peanuts over the top, and serve at once while crisp.