A short recipe video of Som Tum Salad: https://youtu.be/9QKhQ4nImVY

This is a delicious Thai salad called Som Tum salad. ‘Som’ meaning sour & ‘Tum’ meaning pounding everything in mortar and pestle.

Few things to keep in mind:

*Shredding raw papaya to fine juliennes is a must. I have shown two different techniques to do the same in the recipe video.
*Soak the shredded papaya to ice cold water to make it crunchier.
*Pound the rest if the ingredients in a mortar and pestle to get maximum flavors out of them.
*I have used homemade pickled chillies(green chillies pickled in saline vinegar). You may use raw green chillies instead.
*I have added spring onion greens, as I was not having fresh beans at that time. Traditionally French beans are added at a stage when tomatoes are added and are pounded lightly.
*I have used homemade tamarind chutney. You may use tamarind pulp instead.
*You may replace finely chopped normal tomatoes with halved cherry tomatoes.
*You may replace jaggery powder with normal sugar.

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)
Raw papaya – 1 small
Garlic – 8 to 10 cloves
Pickled chillies – to taste
Coriander leaves – a few
Ginger – 1/2 inch
Jaggery powder- 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Roasted peanuts – 3 tbsp
Tomatoes – 1
Greens of 1 spring onion
Soy sauce – 1 tbsp
Lemon – 1/2 to 1
Tamarind chutney – 1 tbsp
Bell pepper – 1/4 cup

Method:
– Make fine juliennes of raw papaya as shown in the recipe video & soak them in ice cold water for atleast 15 minutes.
– Meanwhile, prepare the salad dressing. Pond garlic, chillies, coriander leaves, ginger to fine paste in a mortar & pestle. Add jaggery, salt, soy sauce, tomatoes, roasted peanuts(reserving a few for garnishing), lemon juice with lemon skin, tamarind chutney, tomatoes to mortar & pestle and pound a bit.
– Remove lemon skin from the dressing. Lemon skin is pounded to extract its extra flavour. The salad dressing is now ready.
– Now, strain the shredded raw papaya well and shift it to a big salad mixing bowl.
– Add bell pepper, spring onion greens & the prepared salad dressing to the mixing bowl.
– Mix everything well and Enjoy!!!

Som Tum Salad ( Thai raw papaya salad)

‘Cooking for our loved ones with love!’