Lao green papaya salad recipe, Tam Mak Hoong

Step 1

Prepare the green papaya. Wash, dry with paper towels, and carefully peel the skin off of the papaya with a sharp knife. Peeling only the green part, you will see raw papaya's beautiful white flesh. Wash the sap off with water and towel dry.

Step 2

Shred the papaya. There are two ways to shred the green papaya, one is the recommended version, and the other is the traditional version-dangerous and not recommended if you are not skilled with a knife. Method one, use the Kiwi peeler or a grater, shred the papaya into thick log slices, 4-6 inches long. Keep shredding until you have about 2 solid cups. Method two, the traditional way (advance cook only, please). Hold the papaya with one hand with a knife in the other. Using a sharp and sturdy knife, start shredding the papaya with the knife in one hand while holding the papaya in the other. Chop the papaya up and down until you have patterns of long cuts in the papaya. Slice the chopped pieces off until you have enough papaya for the salad. Put the rest of the papaya in the fridge for another round of salad tomorrow. (: Note that your second shredding method will yield thicker and crispier papaya salad than the shredding method. Both are great. It’s only a personal preference.

Step 3

Roughly pound garlic and Thai chilies in a large mortar and pestle with a wooden pestle. Don’t make a paste.

Step 4

Add the green beans, again roughly pound them with the wooden pestle, just enough to bruise the beans. This is where you can add one or two Thai eggplants.

Step 5

Add the sliced tomatoes, pound just enough to bruise, and extracts the juice of the tomatoes.

Step 6

Add shrimp paste, crab paste, Pa Daek, pickled crab, fish sauce, and lime juice with rind, tamarind, and sugar. Leave the rind of the lime, but don’t eat it when served. Either remove it before serving or set it to the side of a plate as how the locals would do it. Half mixing, half light pouring of everything together. Use a large spoon to help swirl the sauce around in a circular motion with one hand while using the wooden pestle on the other.

Step 7

Add the shredded papaya and carrot and the rest of the lime juice. Lightly pound everything all together one last time. 1 Minute more. Taste your salad and adjust here with more fish sauce, lime juice, or sugar.

Step 8

Prepare a platter with vegetables and garnishing options on the side. Pour the salad from the mortar into the serving platter, and that's it! Enjoy the taste of heaven on earth! And again tomorrow. (;