Ingredients
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2 cloves peeled garlic
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pinch sea salt
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2-4 Thai bird chilliesto taste
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5 cherry tomatoes
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1 tablespoon dried prawnssoaked and drained
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1 slice of lime
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1 tablespoon toasted peanuts
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1/4 cup snake beanscut to 4 cm pieces
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2 cups green papayashredded
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3 tablespoons palm sugar
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4 tablespoons lime juice
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3 tablespoons tamarind water
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2 tablespoons fish sauce
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large pinch chilli powder
Directions
Originating from ethnic Lao people, this spicy salad is a delicious appetizer. It is eaten throughout South-Asia and you’ll find it in a few different forms in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia. This green papaya salad recipe is provided by Chef David Thompson, an expert in Thai food, and it is absolutely amazing. You can enjoy his delicious Thai dishes in one of Sydney’s best Thai restaurants – Long Chim.
How To Make the Green Papaya Salad
- In a mortar & pestle pound the garlic with salt.
- Cut the tomatoes in half then toss into the mortar and crush with pestle along with the dried prawns, lime slice, peanuts and snake beans.
- Add the green papaya and bruise – do not over work.
- Season with palm sugar, lime juice, tamarind water, fish sauce and chilli powder – initially only use about 2/3s of each. Adding more as needed to hone and finish the seasoning.
- It should taste sweet and sour, hot then salty.
TAMARIND WATER METHOD
Soak equal parts tamarind paste into warm water. Allow to soak 10 minutes. Using your fingers, mash the tamarind well into the water until it feels completely soft. Next, strain the tamarind water into a fresh bowl and squeeze out as much extract from the pulp as possible. The tamarind water is now ready for use in curries and many other things that require a tangy or sour flavour.
