Tam mak hoong – green papaya salad

Ingredients

• 500 g green unripe papaya
• 150 g cherry tomatoes
• 100 g yardlong beans or green beans
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1–3 small red chillies
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp heat-treated padaek, or 1 extra tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp palm sugar
• 1 lime in wedges

Method

1. 1Peel papaya, remove seeds and shred or cut flesh into thin strips.
2. 2Halve tomatoes. Cut beans into short pieces; blanch ordinary green beans for 2 minutes and cool.
3. 3Pound garlic and chilli in a large mortar. Add sugar, fish sauce, padaek and lime juice and mix.
4. 4Add beans, tomatoes and papaya in batches. Pound lightly while tossing with a spoon so the strips stay crisp.
5. 5Adjust with lime or fish sauce and serve immediately with lime wedges.