Ingredients:

  • 1 large green papaya (about 500g/1lb 2oz), peeled, seeded, and shredded
  • 150g/5oz long beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 150g/5oz cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 2 tbsp unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp dried shrimp (optional), rinsed
  • 2-4 Thai bird's eye chillies, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)
  • 3 tbsp lime juice (freshly squeezed)
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar), grated
  • 1 tbsp tamarind paste
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce

Instructions:

  1. In the mortar, pound the chillies and garlic into a paste. Add palm sugar and tamarind paste, and continue to pound until well combined.
  2. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. The dressing should be sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.
  3. Gently add the long beans and tomatoes to the mortar. Lightly bruise them with the pestle to release their juices.
  4. Add the shredded green papaya to the mortar. Toss well with the dressing, pounding gently to combine and soften the papaya slightly. Be careful not to over-pound it, or it will become mushy.
  5. Stir in the peanuts and dried shrimp (if using).
  6. Transfer the Som Tam to a serving bowl. Garnish with extra peanuts. Serve immediately for maximum freshness and crunch.