Tum Tad Recipe

Name: KHON Thai Kitchen by Seedas Tum Tad Recipe
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 cups green papaya (peeled, shredded); 0.5 cups carrot (peeled, shredded); 0.5 cups green beans (trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces); 1 each ripe tomato (cut into wedges); 3 each Thai bird's eye chilies (finely chopped); 3 cloves garlic cloves (crushed); 3 tbs fresh lime juice; 1 tbs palm sugar (or brown sugar); 2 tbs fish sauce; 0.75 cups fried pork skin (crispy chicharrón / pork crackling), broken into bite-sized pieces; 2 each hard-boiled eggs (halved); 4 slices Thai meat loaf (Naem or Vietnamese-style pork loaf / substitute: processed pork loaf, sliced); 2 cups kanom jeen rice noodles (thin fermented rice noodles) or thin rice vermicelli, blanched and drained; 2 tbs roasted peanuts (lightly crushed); 2 tbs cilantro leaves; 2 each lime wedges (for serving)

Inspired by KHON Thai Kitchen by Seeda

Time30m

Serves2

Shredded green papaya, carrot, green bean, tomato, mixed with garlic, lime juice, and Thai chili with fried pork skin, hard-boiled egg, Thai meat lope, and Kanom jean noodle.

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Ingredients

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Salad (Som Tam) Base

2 cups green papaya (peeled, shredded)

1/2 cups carrot (peeled, shredded)

1/2 cups green beans (trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces)

1 each ripe tomato (cut into wedges)

3 each Thai bird's eye chilies (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic cloves (crushed)

3 tbs Fresh lime juice

1 tbs palm sugar (or brown sugar)

2 tbs Fish sauce

Proteins & Add-ins

3/4 cups fried pork skin (crispy chicharrón / pork crackling), broken into bite-sized pieces

2 each hard-boiled eggs (halved)

4 slices Thai meat loaf (Naem or Vietnamese-style pork loaf / substitute: processed pork loaf, sliced)

2 cups kanom jeen rice noodles (thin fermented rice noodles) or thin rice vermicelli, blanched and drained

Garnishes

2 tbs roasted peanuts (lightly crushed)

2 tbs cilantro leaves

2 each Lime wedges (for serving)

Method

Prepare Noodles & Eggs

Blanch kanom jeen

Bring a pot of water to a gentle boil. Add the kanom jeen (or rice vermicelli) and blanch for 30–60 seconds until warmed and pliable. Drain, rinse briefly with cold water to stop cooking, and toss with a little oil to prevent sticking. Set aside divided between serving plates.

Cook eggs

If eggs are not pre-cooked, place eggs in a small pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and cover for 8–9 minutes for hard-boiled. Transfer to ice water, peel, and cut each in half. Set aside.

Make Som Tam Dressing & Salad

In a large mortar and pestle (or a bowl if you don't have one), lightly pound the garlic and Thai chilies until roughly crushed but not pureed (you want texture).

Add the palm sugar to the mortar and lightly crush to combine with garlic and chilies so sugar dissolves more easily.

Stir in fish sauce and lime juice. Taste and adjust balance — it should be spicy, salty, sweet and sour. Add more lime juice for acidity, fish sauce for saltiness, or sugar for sweetness.

Add the shredded green papaya, shredded carrot, green beans, and tomato wedges to the mortar or a large bowl. Using a gentle pounding and mixing motion (or toss in the bowl), bruise the vegetables slightly so they absorb the dressing but remain crisp. Continue until vegetables are well-coated and slightly softened, about 1–2 minutes. Ensure tomatoes release a little juice to mingle with the dressing.

Assemble Proteins & Finish

Divide the dressed papaya salad over the prepared kanom jeen on each plate (or serve salad beside the noodles).

Arrange halved hard-boiled eggs and slices of Thai meat loaf around the salad. Sprinkle the broken fried pork skin pieces over the top so they stay crisp and add crunchy contrast.

Garnish with crushed roasted peanuts and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges on the side for extra brightness.

Optional: offer extra fish sauce, palm sugar, or chopped chilies at the table so diners can adjust seasoning.