© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA
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Recipe from: Temple of Thai
The picture to the left is Som Tam at a restaurant in Thailand. This version was incredibly hot and spicy! It is made with julienne strips of green papaya, prik ki nu (fiery Thai chiles), kratieum (garlic), raw crab, prik chi fa daeng (Thail jalapeño chiles), nam pla (fish sauce), long beans, Nam Manao (lime juice), and ma kua teet (tomato). -clay |
1 peeled and shredded green papaya (about 3 cups) 1
¼ cup ground dried shrimp
1 dried chili soaked in water
6 cloves garlic
7 white peppercorns
¼ cup lemon or lime, cut into small cubes
3 tablespoon palm sugar
3 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon tamarind juice 2
1 head of lettuce (bibb or Boston)
Gently crush shredded papaya in mortar with pestle. Crush garlic, dried chili, and peppercorns in mortar mixing thoroughly. Mix tamarind juice, fish sauce, and sugar in a pot and heat to a boil. Remove from heat, allow to cool, add lemon juice, and mix with chili paste in a mortar. Add crushed papaya, dried shrimp and lemon cubes and mix thoroughly.
Spoon onto a plate. Garnish with fresh red chilies. Serve with lettuce.
Notes:
Thai recipes calling for lemons if written in Thailand are calling for Limes! Lemons are not available in Thailand unless imported, therefore not commonly used.
1 If green papaya is not available substitute a combination of about 2 cups shredded, seedless hothouse cucumbers, about ½ cup carrots about ½ cup daikon radish. 2 To prepare tamarind juice break off a 1 inch piece of tamarind paste and squeeze with your fingers in ¼ cup of warm water. Or use prepared Sour Soup Base, Por Kwan.