Pound it Out Papaya Salad!

Our family loves to order papaya salad when we go out for Thai food. I’ve wanted to try this recipe at home, but I never seem to think of grabbing a green papaya while I’m still at the grocery store. Most are already ripe! I did get lucky recently and found a completely green one, so I decided to give it a try.
We definitely weren’t disappointed. The bold flavors of the lime and chilis and the sweetness of the cane sugar and tomatoes really blended well together. If you like a little more heat, you can increase the chili peppers. It’s also fun to make, especially after a long day at work. You can really kick out the jams while working the mortar and pestle since there is a lot of pounding! Enjoy!

Thai Green Papaya Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp. palm or brown sugar
• Zest of ½ lime
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 to 3 bird’s eye chiles, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, plus more for garnish
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 2 cups shredded green papaya
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh long beans or green beans
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• A few leaves of Thai basil sliced into thin strips

Directions

1. Place the shredded papaya and green beans in a large metal bowl. Set aside.
2. If you have a large mortar and pestle, I suggest using that. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, then use another metal bowl with a wooden spoon or a muddler to pound the sugar, lime zest, garlic, chiles, and peanuts. Pound the mixture until the peanuts are roughly crushed.
3. Stir in the fish sauce and lime juice.
4. Then pour this mixture into the metal bowl where the papaya and beans are waiting, and pound it just a little more!
5. Add tomatoes and lightly pound until combined.
6. Finally, mix the Thai basil in.

Serve and enjoy!

Tracey B.

Agent and Gourmand