Papaya Salad

DONT KNOCK IT TIL’ YOUVE TRIED IT. Papaya Salad is going to be your favorite asian style savory summer salad. This papaya salad is originated from Southeast Asia and is the perfect bite or sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, and UMAMI. It is perfect on its own, or can be served as a complimentary side dish to any meal. Sometimes I like to serve it up charcuterie board style and add side fixings like cabbage, pork rinds, cha Lua ham, shrimp, and vermicelli noodles! Papaya salad is also great with sticky rice to help balance out the spiciness, along with some barbecue chicken or steak! Everyone has their own version and the ingredients are completely customizable! You can find all of the ingredients at your local asian market, along with the mortar and pestle. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll wonder where this salad has been your entire life.

What you’ll need:

Appetizer Servings: 6-8

• 1.5 lb green papaya

• 1-2 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp tiny dried salty shrimp

• fresh thai chili peppers

• 2 tsps palm sugar or sweetener

• 2 tsps fish sauce

• 1 tsp shrimp paste

• 1 tsp fermented fish paste (optional)

• 1 tsp fermented crab paste (optional)

• 2 large limes

• 1 cup baby tomatoes

• 1 cup chopped long green beans (optional)

• mortar and pestle

• roasted crushed peanuts (optional)

Watch recipe video

Instructions:

1. Start prepping papaya

   -Rinse and pat dry

   -Peel green papaya skin off entirely and discard skin

   -Shred papaya until the pit is the only thing left. (There are seeds inside the pit)! (I like using a shredder because its easy). Discard pit and seeds.

   -Place shredded papaya to a bowl and set aside.

2. Prep sauce

   -To a mortar add all the dry ingredients: peeled garlic cloves, tiny dried shrimps, Thai chili peppers, and sweetener.

   -Pound with a pestle until all ingredients combine and turn into a paste. Make sure dried shrimps are completely disintegrated.

   -Once ingredients turn into a paste-like-consistency, add your wet ingredients: fish sauce, shrimp paste, fermented fish and crab paste (optional), and squeeze the juice of the times right in. Gently stir ingredients with pestle until completely combined. Should look like chunky wet sauce!

3. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking before moving forward. (IF NEEDED).

4. Cut baby tomatoes in half and to sauce in mortar. (Add chopped long green beans here if using)

5. Gently push down on tomatoes with pestle until tomatoes “pop” releasing all of its juices. (If adding long green beans, smash beans down as well).

6. Once tomatoes are broken down, add in half of your shredded papaya.

7. Using your pestle and a spoon you’re going to pound gently and toss with your spoon in a circular repetition until all shreds are well coated. Add second batch of shredded papaya right on top and repeat until all papaya shreds are dressed.

8. Transfer all papaya and remainder of sauce onto a serving plate, top with roasted crushed peanuts (optional), and enjoy with some beef skewers!