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!

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

If you have a large mortar and pestle, I’d suggest using that. If you don’t have a large metal bowl, use a wooden spoon, a rolling pin, or even a drink muddler to pound sugar, lime zest, garlic, chiles, and peanuts until peanuts are roughly crushed. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice into the big bowl if that’s what you’re using. If you’re using a mortar and pestle, pour into a metal bowl that the papaya and beans are waiting in and do your pounding!

Add tomatoes and pound until combined. Add the Thai basil and mix in.

Serve and enjoy!

Tracey B.

Agent and Gourmand