Som Tum Recipe

Prepare the papaya

Peel the green papaya with a vegetable peeler. Trim off the ends and cut the papaya into manageable lengths. Using a mandoline set to a coarse julienne or a Japanese benriner, shred the papaya into long thin strips about matchstick thickness. Alternatively, use a box grater or special Thai shredder. Place shredded papaya in a large bowl and, if it seems very wet, gently squeeze out excess liquid with clean hands or a kitchen towel. Reserve.

Prepare other vegetables and aromatics

Trim the ends of the long green beans and cut them into 1.5–2 inch pieces. Halve the cherry tomatoes (or quarter if large). Peel the garlic cloves. Measure out palm sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. If using carrots, julienne into thin matchsticks. Lightly crush the roasted peanuts with the side of a knife or in a small mortar and pestle, leaving some pieces coarse.

Make the dressing in mortar

In a sturdy mortar and pestle, add the garlic cloves, Thai chilies (start with 2 if sensitive, use 3+ if you like hot), and palm sugar. Pound and bruise the garlic and chilies with the pestle until fragrant and the sugar begins to dissolve. Add the dried shrimp (if using) and lightly crush to incorporate. Add the fish sauce and lime juice, and stir with the pestle to dissolve the remaining sugar and combine into a balanced sweet-sour-salty dressing. Taste and adjust: more lime for acidity, more fish sauce for saltiness, more sugar for sweetness, extra chilies for heat.

Combine salad

Add the cut green beans to the mortar and gently bruise them a couple of times to release flavor (do not pulverize). Transfer the mortar contents into the bowl with shredded papaya. Add the halved cherry tomatoes, julienned carrot (if using) and about two-thirds of the crushed peanuts. Toss everything gently with two forks or with clean hands so the dressing evenly coats the papaya and vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, lime, or sugar as needed. If too salty/acidic, add a pinch of sugar; if too sweet, add lime or fish sauce.

Plate and garnish

Transfer the som tum to a serving plate. Sprinkle the remaining roasted peanuts on top along with a scattering of Thai basil leaves or cilantro. Serve immediately with sticky rice or as part of a Thai meal. Som tum is best eaten fresh — if you must store, keep chilled and consume within a day to preserve texture.