Since my move to Thailand, I’ve probably tried all the Thai classics so far, and I LOVE them all. I could seriously eat Thai food for every meal and not get sick of it. The curries, the pad thai, stir fry, Tom Yum soup…

I never thought my favorite dish of all though would be A SALAD😱 Green papaya salad to be specific. Only Thai people could create a salad that you crave for every meal- they are masters at balancing flavors and causing food addictions!!

If you haven’t tried this salad yet, get on it!! And use this recipe because it’s the most authentic you’ll find (I learned from the best at Smiley Cook in Koh Samui!).

It’s crunchy, filling, SO flavorful and fresh-tasting and packs savory, spicy, sweet, and sour all into one. You’ll want to eat it everyday, even if you’re not a salad person.

Like I’ve said on my other Thai recipe posts, I really recommend shopping for all these ingredients at an Asian market since a lot of them will be difficult to find at American & European markets.

Also, this recipe turns out best if you have a mortar and pestle! If you don’t have one, you can just mix in the sauce and chop the garlic and peanuts instead, but the flavors don’t incorporate as well as they properly should.

Dig in friends!!! 😋

Serves: 4    Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 green papaya; peeled then shredded with a julienne shredder tool or like a true Thai local by following this video (this is how I did it in my cooking lesson!)
• 1 carrot; peeled and shredded
• 1 snake bean; cut into 2 cm pieces
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes; sliced in half
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1/2 cup dried shrimps
• 1 t0 5 red or green Thai chills (depending on the spice level you prefer, but be careful!! They’re super hot)
• 2 garlic cloves; ends chopped off and crushed using the back of a knife
• 1/2 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions: In your mortar, lightly crush the whole Thai chilies with the pestle. Add the garlic and dried shrimps and continue crushing.

Add the sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice, and continue crushing.

Then add the papaya, carrots, tomatoes, and peanuts, and continue crushing to incorporate all the flavors into the vegetables.

Once mixed all together, taste and adjust anything according to your preferences. The salad should taste of a perfect balance between sweet, hot, salty, and sour!

Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 265, Total Fat: 15g, Total Carbs: 21g, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 10g, Protein: 16g