Most people always relate Thai food with coconut milk, curry and spiciness.  We would like to introduce you to our number one national favorite dish – Green Papaya Salad.  Yes!!! Green Papaya.  This salad is not boring – that’s a promise.   The dressing and ingredients are unlike anything you’ve ever seen or tasted before – soothing in summer and invigorating in winter.  Learn how to prepare this national favorite and you’ll be on your way to a new invention of Thai taste.

This salad is the number one favorite dish among Thai people. Every Thai knows Papaya Salad and most eat it at least once or twice a week. It’s easy to make and the flavor can be personalized. Meat, seafood or poultry can be added. A good papaya salad should have a we good balance of sweet and salty with the sour flavor being more pronounced and a touch of spiciness from fresh chilis that does not overpower the taste of other ingredients.

We made this in our interactive, hands-on cooking class September 12. Here’s how you can make it at home.

Main Ingredients

1 garlic clove
2-3 green beans cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cup shredded green papaya
1/2 cup julienne carrots
2-3 grape tomatoes or 1 plum tomato cut into 4 wedges
1 tablespoon roasted, unsalted peanuts (optional)

Dressing

2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons palm sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice

Optional ingredients or Substitute Ingredients

Substitute for Green Papaya: julienne carrots, julienne cucumber (remove seeds), shredded cabbage
Substitute for Fish Sauce: mushroom soy sauce, salt
Optional Ingredients: boiled shrimp, squid, chicken breast, dried shrimp. If beef is the option, marinate it with salt and grill it first before adding to the salad. Fresh chilis.

Instructions

Make the dressing: Mix the palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice together, then set aside.

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic to a paste, add peanut and chilis (if you prefer) and pound again. Add green beans and tomato wedges, breaking them up slightly. Stir in the dressing, add papaya and lightly pound to mix all the ingredients together. Serve on lettuce with cabbage on the side.

If meat is added, mix meat with half of the dressing. Prepare the salad with the other half, then mix them together in a salad bowl.

Serves 4

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