Som Tum Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients

For 2 portions

• 🌴 300g papaya
• 🍅 100g cherry tomatoes
• 🥜 30g peanuts
• 🍅 50g tomato
• 🪴 80g green beans
• 🍋 30ml lime juice
• 🥣 15ml soy sauce
• 🍯 15g palm sugar
• 🌶️ 5g chilli paste

Method

1. Traditional som tum uses fish sauce and dried shrimp – this version uses soy sauce to keep it vegan.
2. Peel the green papaya, halve it and scoop out the seeds. Shred it into long thin strips with a julienne peeler or the coarse side of a grater (or cut into fine matchsticks). You need about 300 g.
3. Halve the cherry tomatoes, cut the tomato into wedges and cut the green beans into 4 cm lengths. Roughly crush the peanuts.
4. Dressing: in a large mortar (or a bowl, using the end of a rolling pin), pound the chilli paste with the palm sugar until combined. Stir in the lime juice and soy sauce until the sugar dissolves.
5. Add the green beans and tomatoes and bruise them lightly with the pestle for 30 seconds to release their juices.
6. Add the papaya and toss and pound gently for 1 minute, turning with a spoon, until it softens slightly and soaks up the dressing.
7. Taste and adjust – it should be a sharp balance of sour, salty, sweet and hot.
8. Pile onto a plate, scatter with the peanuts and serve straight away, with sticky rice or lettuce leaves.