Papaya Salad Recipe

prepare papaya and vegetables

Peel the papaya, halve lengthwise and remove seeds. Using a julienne peeler or mandoline, shred the papaya into long thin strips about 3–4 mm wide. Place shredded papaya in a large mixing bowl. Peel and julienne the carrot into similar thin strips and add to the bowl. Trim the ends of the green beans and cut into 1–1.5 inch (2–4 cm) lengths; blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds then plunge into ice water to keep bright green and crisp. Drain and add to the bowl. Halve the cherry tomatoes and add to the bowl. If using cilantro, roughly chop and set aside for garnish.

lightly dry shredded papaya (optional)

If the shredded papaya is very wet, spread it on a clean towel and gently press to remove excess moisture — this keeps the dressing from becoming diluted.

If peanuts are not roasted, dry-roast them in a skillet over medium heat, stirring, until golden and fragrant (3–5 minutes). Cool slightly, then roughly crush or chop half of them coarsely and reserve the other half for sprinkling. If using dried shrimp, lightly toast in the pan for 1 minute to bring out aroma and then roughly chop.

make dressing

In a mortar and pestle (or a small bowl), pound or finely mince the garlic and bird's eye chilies together to a coarse paste. Add the palm sugar and a splash of lime juice to soften and mix until sugar dissolves. Stir in the fish sauce and the remaining lime juice (taste and adjust so the dressing is balanced: about 1 part sugar : 1–2 parts acid : 1–2 parts salty). You should have a bright, savory, sweet, tangy sauce.

combine salad and dressing

Pour the dressing over the shredded papaya, carrot, green beans, and tomatoes. Using two large spoons or tongs, toss and gently pound the salad a few times (this helps the flavors meld and slightly bruises the papaya for better texture). Add the crushed roasted peanuts and dried shrimp (if using) and toss again. Taste and adjust with more lime juice, fish sauce, or sugar if needed.

finish

Transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle remaining chopped peanuts on top and garnish with cilantro if desired. Serve immediately so the vegetables stay crisp.