Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients

Nuts and shrimp

• 2 tbsp peanuts (raw or roasted)

Dressing

• 1 ½ tbsp dried baby shrimp
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 red bird’s eye chillies
• 12 green (string) beans, cut into 2 ½ cm (1 in) pieces
• 1 tbsp palm sugar, grated and finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 lime (large, juice)

Vegetables and fruit

• 400 g (14 oz) green papaya, grated
• 1 carrot (medium), peeled and grated
• 6 baby plum tomatoes, halved

Herbs

• 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (cilantro)
• 2 tbsp Thai sweet basil (or any basil), roughly chopped

Method

Stage 1 - Roast peanuts

1. Pound peanuts lightly in pestle and mortar.
2. Roast in frying pan over medium-high heat until light brown.
3. Set aside (skip if using roasted peanuts).

Stage 2 - Make dressing

1. Pound dried shrimp in pestle and mortar to coarse paste.
2. Add garlic and chillies; pound into shrimp.
3. Add green beans; pound to bruise but keep pieces.
4. Add sugar, tamarind, fish sauce, and lime juice; stir to dissolve sugar.
5. Taste and adjust flavors.

Stage 3 - Assemble salad

1. Place grated papaya and carrot in salad bowl.
2. Pour dressing over; stir to coat.
3. Add tomatoes, peanuts, coriander, and basil; stir well.
4. Chill in fridge before serving.