Thai Green Papaya Salad

Recipe video above. In Thailand, Green Papaya Salad is traditionally made in giant mortar and pestles large enough to hold the entire salad. The dressing is pounded first, and the rest of the salad is added, pounded a little and finally tossed. For this home version, we use an ordinary size mortar instead. We make the salad in stages, then bring it all together at the end in a bowl.

Different method. Same result!

Like all good Thai food, the taste of the finished dish should be a balance of sweet, salty, sour and spicy. The lime brings zing, palm sugar adds sweetness, while the fish sauce and dried shrimp lend deep savouriness and complexity.

For a truly authentic experience, be brave and don't skimp on the chilli. Green Papaya Salad is MEANT to be spicy!

Ingredients

Dressing:

2 tbsp garlic , roughly chopped (10 normal or 4 large garlic cloves)

6 bird eye chillies, , roughly chopped with seeds (use fewer for less spicy, Note 1)

6 tbsp dried shrimp (Note 2)

1 cup palm sugar , grated using standard box grater, loosely packed (Note 3)

1/2 cup lime juice

1/2 cup fish sauce

Green Papaya Salad:

1 cup roasted peanuts , unsalted

20 snake beans , cut in 5cm/2" pieces (raw, Note 4)

3 cups grape tomato , cut in half (~400g / 14oz)

500g / 4 cups green papaya , shredded, TIGHTLY packed cups (~1 medium, 2/3 large, Note 5)

1/2 cup Thai basil leaves (Note 6)

Instructions

Crush peanuts: Place peanuts in a mortar and pestle. Pound lightly to break them up into largish pieces, not into powder. Transfer to bowl.

Garlic and chilli paste: Place garlic and chilli in the mortar. Pound into a paste. Add shrimp and pound to crush them – no need to grind them to a paste.

Dressing: Stir in palm sugar, lime and fish sauce until sugar dissolves. Pour Dressing into a large bowl.

Bruise snake beans: Add snake beans to mortar (in batches if needed). Pound to bruise, split and soften (they are raw, so they need to be bashed to soften). Add to Dressing.

Crush tomato: Grab handfuls of tomato, crush with your hands then add into the bowl.

Add papaya: Add papaya and 3/4 of the peanuts. Toss well with 2 wooden spoons or tongs.

Serve immediately (Note 7): Once everything is coated in Dressing, immediately pile up onto plates. Spoon over some dressing (there will be a bit of dressing still left in the bowl, that's normal). Garnish with Thai basil leaves, sprinkle with remaining peanuts. Serve immediately (Note 7).