Sides and Salads Recipes - Green Papaya Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 green papaya

• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 15ml/1 tbsp chopped shallots, or onion

• 3-4 fresh red chilies, seeded and sliced

• 2.5ml/1/2 tsp salt

• 2-3 snake beans or 6 green beans

• 2 tomatoes, seeded and cut into very thin wedges

• 45ml/3 tbsp fish sauce

• 15ml/1 tbsp sugar

• juice of 1 lime

• 30ml/2 tbsp coarsely crushed roasted peanuts

• 1 fresh red chili, seeded and sliced, to garnish

Serves 4

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Method:

1. Cut the papaya in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon, then peel using a vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife. Shred the flesh finely the grater attachment of a food processor, or a microplane grater.

2. Put the garlic, shallots, chilies and salt in a large mortar and grind to a rough paste with a pestle.

3. Add the shredded papaya, a little at a time, pounding until, after each new addition, it becomes slightly limp and soft.

4. Cut the snake beans or green beans into 2cm/3/4in lengths. Add the sliced beans and the wedges of tomato to the mortar and crush them very lightly with the pestle.

5. Season the mixture with the fish sauce, sugar and lime juice. Transfer the salad to a large serving dish or four individual salad plates and sprinkle with the crushed peanuts. Garnish with slices of red chili and serve.

Note: This salad appears in many guises throughout Asia. If green papaya is not easy to find, try using finely grated carrots, or thinly sliced cucumber, green apple, white cabbage or fennel. For extra color and crunch, mix in a handful of sliced radishes just before seasoning the salad.