Serves: 2
Prep Time: 25 min
Papaya salad is a fresh & crunchy Southeast Asian recipe that is highlighted by flavors such as sweetness, saltiness, spiciness and sourness. This recipe which is best served cooled, takes only 25 minutes (even without a mortar & pestle), and will surprise you with it's complexity.
Ingredients
1½ cups julienned green papaya, soak in ice water for 10-15 min until firm
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Thai chilies, or more to taste
1½ tbs palm sugar, finely chopped
2–3 long beans
3 tbs roasted peanuts
1 heaping tbs small dried shrimp (optional)
2 tbs fresh lime juice
2 tsp tamarind juice
1½ tbs fish sauce
½ cup grape tomato, halved
Ingredients
Using a peeler, peel the papaya and cut it in half. Using a spoon remove the seeds of the papaya. Cut the papaya into quarters since you'll need to use a mandoline to shave them into long pieces. This step may take a while, and please be careful with your fingers. Some stores sell pre-sliced papaya.
Drain the soaked papaya and dry using paper towel. Thinly slice garlic & chop the chilies, adding them to a mixing bowl.
Chop the palm sugar in a small bowl and add a little hot water on it and stir it until it makes a paste like consistency.
Add tamarind, fish sauce, and lime juice to the mixing bowl. Make sure to stir well.
Roughly chop half the roasted peanuts and add to the mixing bowl.
Bruise the long beans until broken using a rolling pic or wine bottle (we used a wooden stirring spoon. Add to the mixing bowl.
Add the tomatoes and bruise them slightly tomatoes and press on them to bruise and release the juice slightly. Then add the papaya. Mix and toss until fully incorporated. If you are not ready to serve right away, you can set it aside in the fridge for up to 10 minutes.
Add more peanuts as you like and enjoy!