Wash and peel the green papaya, then cut off the stem. At this stage, you can cut the papaya in half to remove the seeds. I simply shredded (using a vegetable shredder - but a large grater will also work) from the outside, working my way in (working around the "core").You can alternatively use a knife to cut the shredded pieces. To do this, use your knife to make cuts (around ½ inch deep) into the side of the papaya, side by side. Then use your knife or a vegetable peeler to cut ribbons over this section. Where you made the slices into the flesh, it will automatically separate into ‘shreds’ (see images on blogpost for guidance).
Once shredded, you can optionally soak the papaya in ice water for 10-15 minutes to get rid of any excess white milky substance (papain), which will yield crunchier results. If it seems overly "milky," you can toss it with salt and ‘scrub’ gently for a minute or two before rinsing.
Step 2: Prepare the remaining vegetables
Similarly, shred the carrots and slice the tomatoes in half. If you have to use larger tomatoes, then slice them into small pieces.
At the same time, you can lightly toast the peanuts in a dry pan for just 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Step 3: Prepare the Som Tam Thai ‘dressing’
Prepare the tamarind. If you don’t have tamarind paste, you can soak the actual fruit in hot water, and it will become pasty (the soaking water can then still be used to cook with).
In a stone bowl or mortar, combine the fish sauce (or salt), sugar, chilies, garlic, lime juice (and zest, if using), and tamarind and use the pestle to pound them enough to mash them into a paste-like consistency.You can first finely slice the chilies before pounding, so they end up in even finer pieces.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients
Add in just a handful of the carrots and green beans and use the pestle to mash them lightly.
Add the shredded papaya and the remaining carrots and beans and use the pestle to ensure everything is mixed well and just lightly "bruised."
Add the tomatoes and peanuts and use the pestle to gently mix the ingredients (rather than crush them too much). The tomato should be just slightly "mushed" rather than completely mashed.
Add in the cilantro, mix a little more, and then taste the som tam salad to see if you need to adjust any elements. Add more chili for spice, salt/fish sauce for savory and "punch," sugar if the salad is too sour, etc.
The Thai green papaya salad is ready to serve!
How to Store Som Tam Thai Papaya Salad
While shredded green papaya can last for up to two weeks in the refrigerator, covered, as the raw papaya salad is combined with wet ingredients, I recommend eating it within several days (2-3) for the firmest results. It will become softer over time.I don’t recommend freezing the prepared salad, though you can freeze the green papaya for up to three months to make more salad at a later point. I recommend pre-shredding it before freezing. Freezing the papaya alone should still yield crunchy salad - especially as no thawing is necessary - just transfer the shredded frozen papaya straight to the salad.
Notes
For vegan Som Tam Thai: make sure to use a vegan fish sauce or simply salt. Otherwise, this green papaya salad recipe is naturally vegan (without any of the optional fishy add-ins).
Adjust the flavors: feel free to adjust the spice, savoriness, sweetness, and sourness balance all to personal taste.
Choosing papaya: when you’re choosing your green papaya, make sure to look for one that is dark, solid green with no blemishes or soft spots. It should be very firm to the touch.
Optional add-ins and variationsYou can experiment with adding any of the below to the raw papaya salad.
Thai eggplant - usually added raw.
Shrimp paste or dried shrimp.
Brined field crabs - a traditional addition, though harder to find in Western parts of the world.
Hog plums (yellow mombin) - also tricky to find in particular countries but popular in many traditional varieties of green papaya salad.
Long beans rather than green beans.
Lime zest or Kafir lime zest.
There are several other optional add-ins (some that definitely aren’t traditional) but could be delicious, including: corn, bean sprouts, shredded red or white cabbage (potentially instead of papaya in a pinch), parsley or mint, cucumber, shredded lettuce, almonds, fried onions, bell peppers, shallots, shredded green apple, etc.Read the blog post for answers to more top FAQs!