Som Tam
This authentic Som Tam Lao is a vibrant, deeply umami-rich green papaya salad that brings a bold, funky edge to the classic Thai dish. By incorporating fermented fish sauce, tangy lime, and punchy chillies, the ingredients are bruised together to create an irresistible symphony of sour, spicy, and savoury flavours. It is the perfect appetiser for those who crave a punchy, truly unforgettable street food experience.
Cuisines
Cooking Instructions
Cooking: 0 minutes
Notes:
Pla ra is a fermented freshwater fish sauce essential for the authentic Lao style, offering a funkier, deeper umami profile compared to regular fish sauce.
If you lack a mortar and pestle, you can combine ingredients in a bowl and use gloved hands to gently massage and bruise the papaya and vegetables.
MSG, or flavour elevating powder, is a traditional and highly valued ingredient in northeastern Thailand for enhancing the umami richness of the salad.
Serve this salad traditionally alongside warm, chewy sticky rice, which acts as the perfect vehicle for soaking up the pungent, delicious dressing.
Prepare Papaya
Peel the green papaya, ensuring all bitter dark green skin is removed, then shred into fine julienne strips using a traditional chopper or a specialised peeler.
Create Flavour Base
Pound the garlic and a mixture of fresh and dry chillies in a mortar and pestle until they form a coarse paste, then add the palm sugar and pound until dissolved.
Bruise Vegetables
Add the long beans and bruised tomatoes to the mortar, gently pounding to ensure they release their juices and absorb the flavours of the dressing.
Season
Add the lime juice, regular fish sauce, fermented fish sauce (pla ra), and a sprinkle of MSG, then stir well to integrate the dressing with the sugar and aromatics.
Toss Salad
Add the shredded papaya and carrot to the mortar, then use a spoon and pestle to perform the pound and flip technique, bruising the papaya so it absorbs the dressing thoroughly.
Serve
Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, and serve immediately alongside warm sticky rice.
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Ingredients
| Green Papaya | 400 g |
| Carrot | 1 |
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Thai Chillies | 5 |
| Palm Sugar | 1 tbsp |
| Long Beans | 5 |
| Cherry Tomatoes | 5 |
| Lime | 1 |
| Fish Sauce | 1 tbsp |
| Fermented Fish Sauce | 1 tbsp |
| MSG | ½ tsp |
| Pumpkin Seeds | 1 tbsp |
