Name: Charm Thais Som Tam Thai Recipe
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 cups green papaya (peeled and shredded); 0.75 cups long beans (cut into 1- to 1.5-inch / 2.5-4 cm pieces); 1 cups cherry or Roma tomatoes (halved or quartered); 2 tbs dried shrimp; 3 cloves garlic cloves (peeled); 2 to taste bird's eye chilies (adjust to heat; whole); 1.5 tbs palm sugar (or light brown sugar); 2 tbs fish sauce; 2 tbs fresh lime juice; 3 tbs roasted peanuts (lightly crushed); 0.5 unit shallot (thinly sliced, optional); 1 tsp palm sugar syrup or water (for dissolving sugar, optional); 0.25 tsp salt

Method

Som Tam Salad

Prepare papaya and vegetables

Peel the green papaya, remove seeds, and shred it into long thin strips using a julienne peeler, mandoline, or grater. Place shredded papaya into a large bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to crisp slightly, then drain well. Trim and cut the long beans into 1–1.5 inch (2.5–4 cm) pieces. Halve or quarter the tomatoes. If using shallot, thinly slice and set aside.

Toast and ready dried shrimp and peanuts

In a dry skillet over medium heat, briefly toast the dried shrimp for 30–60 seconds until fragrant — be careful not to burn. Remove and let cool. Lightly crush the roasted peanuts with a mortar pestle or by placing in a bag and pounding gently; set aside.

Make the dressing (in a mortar)

In a mortar and pestle, add the garlic cloves and bird's eye chilies. Pound gently until roughly crushed. Add the toasted dried shrimp and lightly pound once to break them up and release aroma. Add the palm sugar and a small splash of warm water (about 1 tsp) if needed, and muddle until sugar begins to dissolve. Stir in fish sauce and lime juice; taste and adjust balance — the classic profile should be spicy, salty, sour, and slightly sweet. If too salty, add a little more lime juice or a pinch of sugar; if too tart, add a bit more palm sugar. Add the 1/4 tsp salt if needed to balance.

Combine salad

Add the shredded papaya to the mortar in batches (or transfer dressing to a large bowl if your mortar is small). Add the cut long beans and tomatoes. Using the pestle and a spoon (or two forks), lightly bruise and toss the mixture 6–8 times — the goal is to slightly crush the beans and tomatoes so they release flavor but not to pulverize. If using sliced shallot, add it now and toss gently.

Finish and serve

Transfer the salad to a serving plate. Sprinkle the crushed roasted peanuts and any extra toasted dried shrimp on top. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional fish sauce, lime juice or palm sugar as needed. Chill briefly or serve immediately with sticky rice or as part of a Thai meal.