Bright, punchy, a little spicy, and full of texture, Thai green papaya salad is one of those dishes that wakes everything up. You’ll find it all over Thailand, especially in the Isan region where it’s rooted in bold, vibrant flavors. This version draws inspiration from Portland chef Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok cookbook, known for bringing deeply authentic Thai cooking into focus, capturing that same balance of heat, acidity, and crunch at home. A mortar and pestle and a good knife go a long way in bringing it all together.
Ingredients
2 generous tablespoons medium-size dried shrimp, rinsed and patted dry
2 ounces palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon water
2 small limes (preferably Key lime), halved through the stem
6 grams peeled garlic cloves (about 2 medium cloves), halved lengthwise
6 grams fresh stemmed Thai chiles (about 4), preferably red
2 ounce longbeans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons lime juice (preferably from Key limes or spiked with a small squeeze of Meyer lemon juice)
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons Naam Makham (tamarind water)
8 ounces peeled, shredded green papaya (about 3 cups, lightly packed)
6 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 12), halved, or quartered if very large
Generous 1/4 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts, roasted
Wedge of cabbage for garnish
Preparation
Dry-fry the shrimp and soften the palm sugar, heat a small dry pan or wok over medium heat, add the dried shrimp, and cook, stirring frequently, until they’re dry all the way through and slightly crispy, about 5 minutes. Set them aside to cool. They’ll keep covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Put the palm sugar in a small microwavable bowl, sprinkle on the 1/4 teaspoon of water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave on low just until the sugar has softened (not liquefied), 10 to 30 seconds. Pound the mixture in a mortar (or mash it in the bowl) until you have a smooth paste. Covered, it will keep soft for up to 2 days.
Make the papaya salad, cut one of the lime halves lengthwise into thirds, then cut the thirds in half crosswise. Set aside 3 of the pieces (reserve the remaining lime for another purpose). Combine the garlic, chiles, and 1 tablespoon of the softened palm sugar in a large clay mortar and pound just until you have a chunky sludge with medium pieces of chile and small but visible pieces of garlic, about 10 seconds.
Add the 3 lime wedges and pound very lightly, just to release the juice. Add the shrimp, pound lightly (don’t smash or pulverize them), just to release their flavor, then add the long beans and pound lightly to bruise them (they should not break into pieces or totally flatten).
Add the lime juice, fish sauce, tamarind water, and papaya. Then use the pestle to barely bruise the papaya (lightly pounding at a slight angle, not directly up-and-down) for about 10 seconds, while simultaneously using a large spoon to scoop up from the bottom of the mortar, essentially tossing the papaya, palm sugar mixture, and the other ingredients as you pound. Do not smash the papaya. It should remain crisp. Add the tomatoes and pound lightly, just to release their juice. Add the peanuts and mix briefly with the spoon.
Transfer the papaya salad to a plate, liquid and all, and serve with the wedge of cabbage on the side.
Serves 4