How to make Thai Green Papaya Salad, Som Tam

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All Thailand Experiences Thai Green Papaya Salad or Som Tam is a favorite for visitors to Thailand.. It is a favorite with Thai girls for lunch. Now you can learn to cook this dish at home using the online videos. In the online video you will be taught by Thai Chef Chanrat Karatna, nickname Air, and his staff not only how to make Thai Green Papaya Salad but about the ingredients at his cooking school Air's Thai Culinary Kitchen in Chiang Mai Thailand.

Copy the recipe below then watch the making of Thai Green Papaya Salad video and take notes.

Thai green Papaya Salad
Som Tom Malakaw

• 2 cups green papaya peeled and shredded (substitute: green hard mango or carrot).
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1-2 birds eye chilies
• ½ cup long been or green bean, cut into ½ to 1 inch lengths.
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp, rinsed and dried
• 1-2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp tamarind water/juice
• 1tbsp palm sugar
• 1-2 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Peel the papaya and rinse under running water, remove the seeds and shred the flesh with a grater and set aside. In the mortar and pestle add the garlic, chilies and beans, pound for just a minute. The add the papaya, dried shrimp, fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar, tamarind water and tomatoes. Gently pound using a large spoon to mix as you pound until the palm sugar has melted. Put the ingredients on a serving plate then add the roasted peanuts on the top. Serve with cabbage wedges and sliced cucumber on the side.

Note: You can leave out the papaya and combine everything else and use as a salad dressing over fresh cucumber and onions (onions optional).

If you would like to learn how to cook Thai food from Chef Chanrat Karatna at his Thai cooking school in Chiang Mai Thailand, contact us.