Thai Papaya salad is an easy and refreshing salad made with very few ingredients. Though its an all season salad but still is preferred in summers as it tastes best when chilled.
Green Papaya Salad
This salad is eaten throughout in Southeast Asia. In Thailand it is popularly known as Som Tam, which most of us are aware of!. Whereas in Laos, they call it Tam Som. In Cambodia it is called Bok l'hong whereas Vietnamese call it Gol du du,
This colourful salad has all the four tastes, namely, salty, sweet, spicy and tangy. Its main ingredient is raw papaya to which certain other veggies are added like tomatoes, bean sprouts etc. Some ingredients like garlic, limeNon-vegetarians like to add Shrimp etc to it. So, except green papaya, nothing is fixed.
As we all know, when it comes to salads, there is no fixed recipe/ingredients and we can play around with the ingredients depending on the availability and our taste of course.
Remember, A Slight Deviation from the Fixed Ingredients gives a Nice Variation.
- In this Green Papaya Salad also I have made certain changes.
- First of all, instead of long julienne of papaya, I prefer grated one.
- Also, I neither add tomatoes nor beans nor garlic to it.
- I add only grated carrot, that too, in very less quantity, just to give colour to the salad as green papaya is almost white.
- As far as Dressing is concerned, again I keep it simple by just adding lemon juice.
How to Make Green Papaya Salad
- This 3 ingredient salad is extremely simple to make.
- Carrots or Tomatoes or beans are added in very little quantity mainly to give colour to it.
- Roasted and Crushed Peanuts lend crunchiness to the Som Tam salad and go perfectly well with it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) Green Papaya is slightly bitter in taste. How to overcome that?
- To remove the slight bitterness in the taste of green papaya, once grated (or shredded), put it in ice cold water, to which little salt and sugar have been added, for 15 minutes.
- Use 1/2 tsp each of salt and sugar for this much quantity of green papaya.
Q) I don't want to grate it. How to shred it just like in Thai Salad?
No worries!. I have shredded raw mango with knife only in my Raw mango Salad. Check this recipe and you can shred green papaya too in the same manner.
Q) Can I make this salad ahead?
Yes. Mix everything and keep t in the refrigerator. But mix crushed peanuts only at the time of serving otherwise they would lose their crunch.
Related Recipes
Thai Papaya Salad
- 1 (500 gm approx) Green Papaya (kachcha Papita)
- 1/2 Carrot
- 2-3 Cloves Garlic (Optional)
- Few Sprigs Cilantro (Hara Dhaniya)
- 1-2 Green Chillies (Optional)
- 1/4 Cup Peanuts
- Salt to taste
- Lemon Juice to taste
- Wash Green Papaya, pat dry it with a kitchen towel. Peel and Grate.
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Put this grated Green Papaya in ice cold water, to which little salt and sugar have been added, for 15 minutes. This is done to remove the slight bitterness in the taste of green papaya. Use 1/2 tsp each of salt and sugar for this much quantity of green papaya.
- While the Green Papaya is resting in cold water, you do the remaining work.
- Grate carrots, crush garlic and finely chop cilantro.
- Also, roast peanuts, in the oven or on a gas stove. Once cooled, crush them with a rolling pin or in mortar and pestle.
- Now, squeeze out the green papaya from the water and keep it in a big bowl.
- Add grated carrot, crushed garlic, chopped cilantro.
- Season it with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
- Toss nicely.
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Cover with Cling film and chill in the refrigerator.
- At the time of serving, mix roasted and crushed peanuts.
- Serve with love.
- If you want to cut julienne of Green Papaya, then cut carrot also that way.
- You can keep the Green Papaya in cold water even longer, till you are ready with other things.
- Add peanuts at the time of serving so that it retains its crunchiness.
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