Green Papaya Salad
This salad appears in many guises in South-East Asia. As green papaya is not easy to get hold of, finely grated carrots, cucumber or green apple can be used instead. Alternatively, use very thinly sliced white cabbage.
Ingredients
- 1 green papaya
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 15mI / 1 tbsp chopped shallots
- 3-4 fresh red chillies, seeded and sliced
- 2.5ml/ ½ tsp salt
- 2-3 snake beans or 6 green beans, cut into 2cm / ¾in lengths
- 2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
- 45ml / 3 tbsp nam pla (fish sauce)
- 15ml / 1 tbsp caster sugar
- juice of 1 lime
- 30ml / 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts
- sliced fresh red chillies, to garnish
Preparation
 |  |  |  |
- Cut the papaya in half lengthways. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then peel using a swivel vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife. Shred the flesh finely using a food processor or grater.
- Put the garlic, shallots, chillies and salt in a large mortar and grind to a paste with a pestle. Add the shredded papaya, a little at a time, pounding until it becomes slightly limp and soft.
- Add the sliced beans and wedges of tomato to the mortar and crush them lightly with the pestle.
- Season the mixture with the nam pla (fish sauce), sugar and lime juice. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and sprinkle with crushed peanuts and garnish with sliced red chillies.
Serves 4.