Spicy Thai Papaya Salad - Aka "Som Tam"

Intro: Spicy Thai Papaya Salad - Aka "Som Tam"

"Som Tam" (ส้มตำ) is a spicy papaya salad that will light your taste buds on fire! It has such a range of flavors and a balance of spicy, sweet, sour and salty! It is incredibly healthy and delicious! It originates in the northeast of Thailand. I used to live in Chiang Mai, Thailand and would order this at least a couple times a week. It only cost me about 60 cents. I used to also eat it with chicken and sticky rice I'd buy from the market in Thailand - also known as "Gai Yang" (ไก่ย่าง). If you haven't been to Thailand yet and you get the opportunity - the people, the food and the sights are incredible and being there will change your life!

Onto the recipe now - I just wanted to let you know that I am omitting two ingredients which are commonly used in this recipe in Thailand. You'll understand why when you see the images! ;) But, if you have a taste for this kind of thing, please add it to your dish and don't let my preferences change that. There are two ingredients commonly used which I am omitting - one is pickled fresh water crabs and the other is small dried shrimp. Have you ever had dried shrimp? I was originally an exchange student with the Rotary Club in Bangkok, Thailand at the age of 16. I lived with a wonderful family and a host-dad who was intimidating and always made me eat the most exotic and strange specialties. So I ate my share of odd foods and dried fish and dried shrimp  - and I just don't care for it! Too fishy and I didn't like the texture. The crab which they like to use in this dish - I just can't fathom eating it because I've seen how it's added to this dish and crushed like the other ingredients. I prefer this without any added sea creatures!!!

Please do not let my icky introduction scare you away from making this - because it is delicious! For someone who likes trying different types of foods from around the world, you should like this. The Thai people I knew would eat it when they were trying to lose a few pounds. I've read some interesting things about papaya and it seems the unripened green papaya is super-healthy and can ease some digestive problems. So let's get started!



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STEP 1: Ingredients for Som Tam

Ingredients

• 2 cups of shredded green unripe papaya (I bought mine at my local Asian grocery store)
• Thai Peeler, I have the Kiwi Pro Slice Peeler
• 1/2 cup of fresh string beans cut into pieces (I bought these at the Asian grocery store as well)
• Thai chilis - I used 3 and it was quite spicy (start with one or two and add more after tasting at the end)
  • The Asian grocery store I go to is very small and they have these Thai chilis in the freezer section
  • I still keep mine in the freezer and take a few out whenever I make this dish - but fresh is best!
• 2-4 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (if you don't have these, you can improvise and use what you have on hand)
• 1/4 cup of dry roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of palm sugar, aka coconut sugar
• 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice
• Mortar & Pestle (if you don't have one, you can try to  improvise)
• *optional: Chinese cabbage if often served with this on the side

STEP 2: Washing & Preparing the Unripened Papaya

The first thing you'll want to do is take out your peeler and peel away the first layer of green skin off of the papaya - then discard it. Then, use the peeler to shred the papaya into strips. Do this until you get down close to the center area which has seeds. If you shred too much, the seeds will fall out everywhere. So be careful with that and shred it all up. You can then take about 2 cups of it and set it aside in a bowl - the rest can be put in a container or sealed bag in the fridge.

The two cups of papaya you set aside in the bowl, you'll need to rinse it off really well in the sink or in a strainer, then return it to the bowl.

STEP 3: Prepare Chilis, Garlic, Beans & Tomatoes

Now you'll want to rinse off your vegetables. You can slice the garlic cloves in half. And, slice the beans into 1-2 inch pieces. If you have cherry tomatoes you can slice them in half. If some other tomato is being used, you can slice it into thin pieces or chunks. Lastly, cut the stems off of the chilis. If you can handle spice, then leave the seeds. I recommend starting off with one chili and slicing it into smaller pieces before it's put into the mortar. If you need more spice after the whole thing is made, then I would add it at that time. For now, you should be finished with slicing and preparing your veggies.

If you have Chinese cabbage for the side, then you can also wash it and cut it and set it aside now.

STEP 4: Mortar & Pestle

Put your chili(s) and garlic into the mortar and use your pestle to pound the chilis and garlic. Next, add the beans and tomatoes and pound lightly. At this point, I have a problem because my mortar is too small. So, like I mentioned, you can always improvise. I improvised by adding the beans, pounding it and then transferring my chilis, garlic and beans into another container (my ninja blender tall cup). Then I add the tomatoes to that new container and gently pound them - just to get the flavor dispersed without destroying the tomato entirely. It might look weird, but it works.

STEP 5: The Liquids

Next, add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to the mix, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and 1 tablespoon of palm sugar. If your palm sugar is super hard and too difficult to get out of the container it is in, then you can heat it up carefully in the microwave to get it at a liquidy consistency. Be careful not to heat it up too much! The Thai people would add these liquid items last - one by one to get a taste for it and to know if more was needed. Personally, I add the tablespoon of each one and mix it all up really well - then I taste it and decide if I need to add a little more of one of the ingredients. This is totally up to your personal taste preferences. I only go by what I know it is supposed to taste like, based off of having it many times in Thailand. The ingredients you use might differ from mine, but the overall recipe should be pretty authentic to how it should taste. If any Thai people read this and have any suggestions, please let me know!

There's a couple things more you need to do after you've added these ingredients. Make sure all these ingredients are well-mixed and pounded with the pestle.

STEP 6: Peanuts and Side of Cabbage

Now is the time to taste the dish and see if you need to add a little more palm sugar or a little more fish sauce or lime juice. Also, if you want it spicier, use the mortar and pestle to pound out another chili or two and add it to the rest of the dish. Mix everything well and transfer to serving bowl or plate. If you want to add a side of cabbage, do that now. And, to top it off - finally, pound your 1/4 cup of peanuts and add them to the top of your salad.

Enjoy!!!

Comments

[savorthefood]

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[sath02]

สวัสดีครับ
I just came across this instructable today.
ส้มตำ and sticky rice is our frequently cook, every time when we are thinking of it.
I noticed that the recipe you used is very authentic. And I learned that you were in Thailand before. No wonder!
I lived there in Thailand for 25 years.

Thanks for posting this. (ขอบคุณครับ)

[HollyMann]

สวัสดีค่ะ and ขอบคุณมาก for your comment!!! I Love to hear that you make this often. And you're in Chicago? Not too far from me - I'm in southern Wisconsin. Where in Thailand did you live? I really miss it there - kittung makk. :) Thanks for the nice comment. So happy to hear you say it's also authentic - as I tried to make it taste just like the real stuff in Thailand. I ordered it in a Thai restaurant in Madison, WI before and was sad it didn't taste right. You just know when you've had it many many times! Thanks again for your comment - made my day!

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

This is scrumptious Holly and what a crystal clear set of pictures you have taken :). Thank you so much for sharing.

[HollyMann]

Thanks Tarun!! Have you had this? :)

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

I think I have had a similar salad in Los Angeles, don't remember the name of the restaurant though. But yours looks much better and tempting:). I was skeptical to try raw papaya in the salad when a colleague of mine told me that it has papaya, but I am now tempted to try your recipe. Gotta find the ingredients :)

[HollyMann]

Oh that's great Tarun. :) When were you in Los Angeles? :)

[Tarun Upadhyaya]

I stayed in LA for 3 months from Oct-Dec 2011, I was working on several e-commerce projects for Nestle Waters.

[HollyMann]

wow that's awesome Tarun. :) I used to work online in marketing and some e-commerce stuff too. Do you plan on returning anytime? :)

[BrittLiv]

Ohh, this looks extremely tasty!

[HollyMann]

Thank you so much Britt!

[mibad]

Looks and sounds delicious! Maybe someday when I have some free time I'll try this.
Or you could just ship some overnight to me...lol

[HollyMann]

yeah I'll ship ya some!

[M.C. Langer]

Looks delicious!! One day, I want to taste one of your amazing recipes!

[HollyMann]

aww thanks Mario - I hope so!!!!

[M.C. Langer]

Who knows?

[HollyMann]

:) someday we'll all be in CA together! I hope so! I need to email Linda back!

[M.C. Langer]

I hope so!

Because I have to leave soon, and I haven't the opportunity to meet you :-(

Looks like I have to find an American wife to keep living here! (It's the thing everyone tell me)

[HollyMann]

Yeah that's what I heard! and when are you leaving?

[M.C. Langer]

August 15th... :-(