Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
"When I invite guests, I warn them I won't be at the table...I will be in the kitchen. I love feeding people. It soothes my soul."
4oz/120g/1/2 green papaya, 4 garlic cloves, 3 small red or green chillies, 2 tbsp roasted peanuts, 1oz/30g/3-4 long beans chopped into 1 inch/2.5 cm lengths, (French beans may be substituted), 2 tbsp/30 ml lemon juice, 3 tbsp/ 45 ml light soy sauce, 6 tbsp jaggery, 1 medium tomato, chopped.
1. Peel the outer skin from the green papaya and finely grate the flesh or chop into long thin shreds. Set aside.
2. In a mortar, lightly pound the garlic, chillies, lemon juice, soy sauce and jaggery into a paste
3. Add the peanuts and lightly pound again. Add the long beans and slightly bruise them.
4. Add the shredded papaya and stir until all the ingredients are blended together. Finally, add the tomato.