Here is a new and improved recipe for the famous northeastern Thai green papaya salad! This time around, I provide you with lots of tricks, tips, and explanations to make sure you can really master this classic, delicious salad. This is also a very healthy dish, so I can really let myself indulge without having to hold back!
Serve it with some sticky rice, and try changing up the vegetables because in Thailand we make hundreds of variations on this salad! Try this apple and chayote salad or corn and cucumber salad for example! Note also that green papaya salad is gluten-free. Enjoy!
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Thai Green Papaya Salad ส้มตำไทย (som tum)
- Yield: 2 servings
Description
Authentic recipe for Thai green papaya salad (som tum). This version is the Thai style or "som tum thai" that is popular the world over.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups julienned green papaya, soak in ice water for 10-15 minutes until they are firmer (See video @1:20 on how to julienne green papaya)
- 2 cloves garlic
- Thai chilies, to taste
- 1 ½ Tbsp palm sugar, finely chopped, packed
- 2-3 long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 3 Tbsp roasted peanuts (see note)
- 1 heaping tablespoon small dried shrimp, roughly chop if you have large ones
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (see note)
- 2 tsp tamarind paste (what is tamarind?)
- 1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce
- ½ cup grape tomato halves or a small tomato cut into wedges
- Serving suggestion: sticky rice and BBQ chicken are classic pairings with papaya salad!
Notes:
I prefer buying raw peanuts and roasting them myself for the best flavour. Simply put them in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-18 minutes until they're golden, stirring them half way through for even roasting. Keep leftover roasted peanuts in the fridge or freezer to keep them fresher longer.
See video for the Thai way of cutting lime. If you have a big juicy lime, 2 tablespoon of juice is about ⅔ of the lime (so if you cut the lime the way I did in the video, you'll only need to juice piece #1 and #2). If your lime is small or doesn't have much juice, use the whole lime. You can always measure out the lime juice before adding to be sure.
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Instructions
- Drain the soaked papaya well and place in a bowl lined with 2 layers of paper towel to absorb excess water. You want to have as little water on the papaya as possible so as to not dilute the dressing.
- In a large mortar and pestle, pound garlic and chilies until there are no more big chunks (pieces of chili skin are fine).
- Add palm sugar and mash with the pestle until it turns into a wet paste and all the chunks are dissolved.
- Add long beans and pound just until they're broken.
- Add dried shrimp and peanuts and pound to break the peanuts up slightly.
- Add fish sauce, tamarind paste, and lime juice, adding the squeezed lime skin into the mortar as well for extra lime fragrance. Stir with a large spoon to mix and dissolve the sugar.
- Add shredded papaya and tomatoes, and mix using the pound-and-flip method as shown in the video @8:40. Once everything looks well mixed and the tomatoes are just slightly crushed, it's done!
- Plate and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts (I forgot to do this in the video!).
- For a truly classic Northeastern Thai meal, serve with sticky rice and the ultimate BBQ chicken
If you have a small mortar and pestle:
- Follow instructions above in your small mortar, and stop before adding the papaya and tomatoes.
- Transfer the dressing into a large mixing bowl, then add the papaya and tomatoes and toss, pushing on the tomatoes slightly to bruise and release a bit of the juice.
- Plate and sprinkle with the remaining peanuts.
If you don't have any mortar and pestle:
- Finely mince or grate the garlic and finely mince the chilies and add them to a mixing bowl.
- Put finely chopped palm sugar in a small bowl and drizzle a little hot water on it and mash it into a paste with a fork.
- Add fish sauce, lime juice and tamarind and stir until the sugar is dissolved and add to the garlic and chilies. Stir everything around to infuse the garlic and chilies into the dressing.
- Roughly chop half the peanuts and add to the mixing bowl.
- Bruise the long beans until broken using anything heavy you can find in the kitchen (a bottle, a can, rolling pin) then add to the mixing bowl.
- Add tomatoes and press on them to bruise and release the juice slightly.
- Add papaya and toss to mix.
- Plate and garnish with the remaining peanuts.
Jessica says
I have never left a comment on a recipe, but this deserved it!! After coming back from a long holiday in Thailand I have been craving this dish daily! Even local Thai restaurants back home weren't hitting the mark! This is EXACTLY like it tasted in Thailand! I LOVED IT! Thank you so much for sharing! <3
Nyfallio says
It would be nice to know how many grams that papaya is. Are you guys really putting that stuff in cups to measure?
Peter says
This is the most authentic recipe out there. One thing I would not do again though is add the lime peel - it somehow got into the flavor of the sauce lending a somewhat bitter citrus note to the dressing. Otherwise 5 start great!
Reeta Shah says
Hi, l have to take papaya salad for pot luck dinner. How can l prepare this. I would like to keep some crunch and don’t want it to be soggy. The above recipe how many people does it serve? Thank you in advance.
Nittaya says
I’m preparing some for a potluck in the morning! If it’s the same day just make all of it at home and bring it in with an extra side of crushed peanuts. Since I’m making it tonight I’m doing everything except the tomatoes, and will pound them in before leaving the house in the am.
Adam from HTK says
Hi Reeta, Adam here and "Yield: 2 servings" (she includes servings at the top of the recipe card). Cheers!
Rajan Menghani says
I tried it it was great
Use proper serated thai papaya peeler
Alysa Nantarojanaporn says
Anytime I make a new Thai dish that's not one I make often, the first place I look for a recipe is here. My papaya salad was a hit at the company potluck.
And the tip to use a bowl of you don't have a big enough mortar was extremely helpful. I revisit this recipe all the time when I want my dish to turn out great.
Reeta Shah says
Hi Alysa,
For potluck dinner how did you take your salad. Did you mix everything before you took it or assemble on arrival. Thanks.
Sam says
Great recipe and instructions, but I cannot for the life of me find the video for this recipe on this page anywhere. You mention there's a full video tutorial, but I don't see the video anywhere on this page. Can you please help?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
It's right there on the page above the recipe, but do you have ad blockers enabled? That will block the video.
Andi Fishfingers says
We have this Thai Street Food Restaurant around the corner. When i order the papaya salad with the cancer i really don't know how to to eat it. I always crack the little crusty arms but i feel i do it wrong. How do i eat it properly?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You mean the crab? It should be broken enough that you can suck out the sweet flesh.
Daniel says
I love the recipe! It reminds me so much of Thailand. Luckily, I am going there soon again.
For everybody who cannot get green papaya and lives in a colder country, I recently found the perfect substitute for it: turnip cabbage / kohlrabi! Trust me, it has the perfect texture and in the salad it tastes just like green papaya. I couldn't believe it before I made it myself. I am soooo happy I found this very cheap alternative to green papaya. I make som tum very often now and enjoy it with home made larb and sticky rice. Yummmmy!
Mario Raffl says
Tried it with Kohlrabi too, today. It's perfect! It's local and way cheaper than the green papaya. I also added one shredded carrot and used our local green beans (which have to be blanched).
Brad says
when I first bought the papaya it was green and the after I pealed it the inside was orange. Can I use this in som tum?
Jo says
I'm trying to increase my veg and this salad is perfect. Absolutely love it, and the pounded cabbage one in the Sabai cookbook. Thank Pailin
Yoris Wilson says
I absolutely love pawpaw salad, but have recently moved to a country where it is difficult to source pawpaw. I have been reading the comments about substituting apple,cucumber etc but was wondering if pumpkin might work
Darren Schneider says
Wow!!! Just made this for the first time , so damn easy ....always seen it made in Thailand 🇹🇭 and always thought I have to try ..... and I did. It's my go to salad to take places and share ( my mouth is on fire but loving it all the same , I doubled the sauce.) The beer is helping. My plate is now empty .
Christine Bestavros says
It's a very hot summer and I'm making Sunday dinner. I made your Ultimate BBQ chicken Gai Yang. Your instructions were awesome, even shopping was fun. I learned so much from your instructions. Paired with Green papaya salad (so yummy) and Thai rice. It was sooo delicious. I would have taken a photo but the family dug right in. Can't wait for leftovers and will definitely do again. Thank you for given my family a taste of home cooked Thai.
Tom Baker says
Great version, Pai! Because papaya is so dear here (more than steak) I like to experiment and use substitutes: thinly sliced fruit/veggies such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples, cucumbers, grapes (treated like the cherry tomatoes), jicama or chayote - all work well. I also add mint or basil at times, which adds to the complexity.
I love fusion! After all, this dish is a fusion given that hot peppers did not exist in Thailand until after Columbus!
Great dish!
Jeremy says
That was my solution Tom. I don't get green Papaya in my country and whether I freeze pawpaw prior to juilienning it or throw it on top of the dish, doesn't make a difference. It's texture is always compromised. Granny smith apples are the ideal sub as they hold their own so I find them even better then papaya. Texture spot on, sour and sweet, not the other way round.
TexasGal says
What can I substitute for the shrimp and the fish sauce to make this recipe vegetarian? Thanks.
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Omit the shrimp and use soy sauce 🙂
Tim Johnson says
Hello!
How can I make this recipe vegan?
Also can I make the dressing beforehand?
We have concentrate tamarind, is that okay to use?
Joanna says
This is an absolute favorite in our home. Flawless recipe!
Alison says
Hello, is the tamarind the sweet or sour variety in this recipe? thank you
Stephen Quinn says
Thank you for your reply, I have used cucumber and ripe mango which was yummy against the spicy chillies.
Kind regards,
Stephen
Stephen Quinn says
Hi,
What alternative to green papaya or mango could be used ?
Thank you
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Any crunchy veg like cabbage, carrot,kohlrabi, or even cucumber.
Donna says
Hi, just want to check if I need to soak the dried shrimp first before adding to the salad? Also I assume they’re already cooked so no need to cook/ re-cook from the packet? Thank you!
Mario says
In most cases when using citrus it will "cook" whatever raw meats chicken, seafood, pork, beef. Not cooked in the sense of when it is cooked with heat but it does. What essentially happens when using citrus, vinegar or even wine is that the acidic values of the juices will break down the proteins. This is the reason this process is used mostly in salads. In the Latin world it is "ceviche", "hinava" in Malaysia, "kilawin" in the Philippines, "kelaguen" in Mariana Islands, "Poisson cru" in Tahiti. In Hawaii "poke" seldom is made with citrus so instead the fish is raw when consumed.
Denise says
Absolutely perfect! So fresh and it’s perfect with fish.
Anne says
I just got back from a Thailand trip and am seriously missing the Thai food. Thanks for posting this recipe. Quick question: is the tamarind paste necessary?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
If you don't add tamarind you will have to add more lime juice, which is fine, but I do fine the flavours are better with both of them combined.
Nichola says
What a lovely refreshing salad .. could I use mango instead of papaya with this ? Many thanks
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You can make it with many kinds of fruits/veggies. Though with mangoes it'll kind of turn it into a different dish because it'll either be very sweet or very sour, which is not to say it's bad, but just to set your expectations right.
Annie says
I love this salad!, amazing flavors, I didn't use a mortar, but chopped the ingredients, and turns out amazing!, I made extra dressing, do you know who long the dressing could last in the fridge?. Thanks for all your wonderful recipes.
Mila says
Omg what a flavor explosion! Thank you Pai for this recipe. You are my goto for all Thai recipes. I make your pad thai following the recipe with all the pre-prep work and my pad thai comes out amazing every single time. Thank you!
Dawn Cole-Easterday says
I love this salad but I would like to know how people use the other 4 + cups of green papaya? Shouldn’t there be a suggestion of finding 6 other people to share the fresh green papaya with?
Jenna says
easy make a large batch and share with friends! Better yet, send some to me
Gal says
I ended up with about 6 cups of shredded papaya from a small green papaya. I used 4 packed cups of shredded papaya with double the dressing recipe (but only 1/3 of the fish sauce for sodium/high blood pressure reasons).
I still have excess papaya so I'll probably make a Vietnamese green papaya salad. They have two main types one that uses vinegar garlic sugar soy sauce with beef jerky and Thai basil, and another that uses fish sauce. I hear Lao green papaya salads are similar to Thai salads but with even stronger flavors.
You can also pickle slices or shreds of the papaya like how the Vietnamese pickle carrot & daikon for sandwiches and other dishes, or how Koreans pickle radish (it's sometimes dyed a yellow color).
The easiest thing to do is just to make a big batch of this salad. It keeps in the fridge for a couple days. Or keep the dressing separate from the green papaya and mix together about 1 hr before eating (keep in the fridge though for nice, crisp crunch).
Emily P. Duncan says
Keeper recipe!!!!! Thank you! My sister in law got me the mortar and pestil and you gave me an amazing recipe. Thank you!
Samuel Muldoon says
I wish that the video narration was a little bit different. Specifically, instead of saying "[...] if you are still learning to love fish sauce [...]" I reccomend saying, " [...] there are some brands of fish sauce with sandy sediment made from small fish bones in the bottom of the bottle. I reccomend pouring the fish sauce through a colander lined with paper towels or somthing lioe an extreemly clean well washed pillow case."
Brik says
Wow this recipe is awesome! Tastes just like the papaya salad from my favorite thai place. I started growing thai chilis just so I could make this haha. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Izabel says
I made your tamarind paste recipe. What is the measurement to dilute the paste to make the tamarind juice for the papaya salad? Thank you!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi Izabel, there is no need to dilute it, you can use it as is. Apologies for the confusion but I used to call it "tamarind juice" but that got confused with tamarind juice DRINKS on the market so I stopped, but I still need to update old recipes. Thanks for letting me know!
Christian says
Dear Pai:
Thank you so much for the great recipes and culinary education. I have a quick question regarding the clay mortar. When you first purchase one, is there an ideal way to clean it? And, does it need to be "seasoned" in any way?
Thanks so much!
Christian
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi Christian, there is nothing you need to do other than wash it well with soap and water like normal dishes. Glad you enjoy the recipes, thanks for the kind words!
Dave says
Going to try this in about an hour. Have almost everything except lime so will use calamansi juice and some pounded with garlic and chilis kaffir leaves. Have tamarind paste that I will water down a little I guess and will use coco sugar in place of palm. Tomatoes either suck here ( usually ) or are super expensive, I will use somewhat ripe and somewhat large local cherry tomatoes but will cut and slightly smash at the end before mixing
Han Jeong says
Dear Pai,
I have been following your recipes for few years, and I always appreciate you for the hard works.
I am thinking about making som tum for my flat mate, but I might have to omit the dried shrimp for his food allergy. Does this recipe turn out well without the dried shrimp?
Violet says
You can omit the shrimp.
Jeff H says
Thank you for all the great recipes, and som tum is my favorite.
I may have mastered this one and probably better than many BKK mall food court som tum, but....Now I'd like to try the one in the other mortar. Isan papaya salad, or maybe it goes my the Laos name 'Laos Papaya Sala'?
Hopefully you may have a North East / Laos Papaya Salad recipe.
ขอบคุณมากครับ
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Glad you love it! To make the lao version you simply need to substitute some of the fish sauce with pla ra (or padaek in Lao) and use slightly less sugar. And omit the peanuts. That's the main difference!
Jon Parks says
What a great recipe. Thanks Pai. One papaya was enough to make what's probably 15 or so restaurant portions - cost of goods about $10.
*My only innovation was to use a scallion shredder to "comb" the papaya, and then used a normal carrot / potato peeler to shave off the shavings, which I found much faster and safer.
BTW, the oils (zest) from the limes was a great suggestion, and really kicked up the fragrance and flavor. I'll definitely make this again, and look forward to trying your other recipes.
He's an example of the scallion shredder (normal amazon link): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Q37E5C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Thank you for sharing your scallion shredder technique! Glad to hear it turned out well!
Lina says
Love this recipe, making Som Tam at home is the best. For the vegan version, if needed, I sub salt for fish sauce.
I also like to use swede if I can't find green papaya in the store in Germany, that works pretty fine too!
Lee says
I love this kind of salad and I make it at home instead of Ordering at a restaurant, which don’t always have one anyways. This is the first time I used this recipe and it was delicious. I didn’t have tamarind or palm sugar (ran out) so I used regular sugar and extra lime and fish sauce to my liking. I used to get a version of this salad that was made with shredded carrots when the restaurant was out of green papaya so that’s what I made mine with. So yum! Also added a little cilantro because I love it so much. And used regular green beans. It was super delicious as Ive made it with these ingredients time and again. But I’m keeping my eye out for a green papaya now that I know what to do to make it julienned.
Yoko says
Your som tum recipe brings me back to Thailand in my mouth! Absolutely love it! If you want to use นำ้ปลาร้า, how much do you put and do you reduce the amount of any other ingredients?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Thank you! How much pla ra to use is entirely up to you! You can sub the pla ra for some of the fish sauce in roughly equal amounts. So try reducing the fish sauce by half first, then add the same amount of pla ra. You'll have to taste and adjust after because different pla ra has different levels of saltiness, so this is just a starting point.
Martina says
Done this recipe several times and always delicious. Exactly as the one I felt in love for my first time in Thailand!
Saar says
What’d you save the peanuts for?! Oh the suspense! Looks great I’ll try this asap
David says
This was perfect! I went light on the fish sauce because I’ve had that backfire on me before. As soon as I added the right amount it was แซ่บอีหลีเด้อ!!!
Josh says
I just did as per your recipe today, and it turned out very good. Thank you for sharing such easy and yummy recipe
Dani says
Delicious and authentic som tum!
Connie says
My favorite salad, but have never made my own Great video presentation! I saw green papayas in 2 markets today. Going back to buy one and trying this recipe out. Thank you!
Fatima says
You are an absolute delight to watch. Going to check out your other recipes.
Amy says
I'm hoping to try this recipe for a party of 25 people. How should I adjust the recipe for serving size of 10-12?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You can multiply all ingredients proportionally. You can start pounding garlic and chilies in mortar and pestle, and then transfer to a big mixing bowl to do the rest. Good luck!
Ellanie Cabrera says
Thanks Pailin
LO says
Thanks for the video.
I have seen some Thai use live small crabs on pounding the mixture. Do you cut it out for some reason. I know un-cooked crabs are not healthy to eat but very tasteful.
Regards
Lo
Pailin Chongchitnant says
Hi Lo, I didn't "cut it out" so to speak, it's just an option people can ask for among other things...kind of like restaurants offering a choice to add bacon to a burger. So it's not a usual/default part of papaya salad. I like them, but I don't use them here simply because I can't find them!
Bin says
Great recipe! I find it hard to measure how much is 1 1/2 cup of shredded papaya. How do you convert that to weight? Thank you!
Adam from HTK says
Hi Bin! Thanks 🙂 ... and I just Google that sort of thing ... https://www.google.com/search?q=cup+of+shredded+papaya+in+grams Cheers! Adam
Todd says
This is my first time to your site, and I have to say that's one of the most charming cooking exhibitions I've ever seen. I can't wait to try the recipe and check you out again.
Monai says
Hello!
I love making this salad. However I find to make it the day of the party ir occasion I have to really prep ahead if time (I always take forever to make it it seems lol).
Can you make this a day ahead? Or will it loose its crunchyness? Or at least can you shred the papaya and chop the veggies (long bean and tomatoes) a day before and then the day of pound them all together with the dressing aspect (the garlic, chilies, peanut fish sauce, lime, &tamarind)?
And if that is possible do I have to keep the papaya in water or can I have it in a zip lock bag or plastic wrap bowl until the next day?
Thanks for any answers 😁
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You can chop all the ingredients in advance, keep in the fridge, and put it together the day of. You can even make the dressing in advance 🙂
Jean says
Hello
I am wondering where in Vancouver i could buy a mortar and pestle to make som tam with.
Adam The HTK Minion says
Hi! She get's her stuff almost entirely online now (mostly through Amazon) - check out https://kit.co/hotthaikitchen/kitchen-tools-i-use for some examples including the clay mortar and pestle. Cheers! Adam
Sindy says
This is hands-down the best green papaya salad I have ever had including in restaurants. I usually use a bottled dressing but decided to try this instead and boy am I glad I did!I will never make it any other way again!
Lionfruit says
This recipe is so amazing. My hubby and I have it down after a few tries. I prep the veg and he's on grinding duty! Just wondering if you have a mango salad recipe and whether it's different from this salad?
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You can use this recipe with mango as well, but mango salad in Thailand is usually a little different, which I don't have the recipe for yet, but request noted 🙂
Winnie says
Just wanted to say Bravo! To you and the receipt! My whole family likes it better than what we bought from restaurants. And we live in An area with lots of good Thai restaurants!
Adam The HTK Minion says
Great to hear! 🙂
Zivi says
Thanks for the great video and authentic recipe. I have visited Thailand and regularly eat Thai food & papaya salad so I was excited to find this recipe that is no doubt authentic.
I made a couple substitutions as I was in a southwest kitchen with limited ingredients - sharing for those who might find useful (I dubbed it americana papaya salad).
• Used dried arbol chili instead of Thai chili.
• Used Worcester sauce instead of tamarind.
• Used cane sugar in place of palm sugar (+ a bit of local honey)
• Left out the shrimp and fish sauce (we’re vegetarian).
• fresh green beans instead of long beans.
Consensus was that everyone liked it and ate it and (for those who were familiar) it tasted very close to the real thing!
Love all the tips here - whole limes, mortar and pestle, papaya ice bath. Great stuff thanks
Adam The HTK Intern says
Thanks for this Zivi!
Lorraine Murray says
I have never made this salad. I want to try it,but I have questions to ask you. Can I use a bell pepper in place of chili peppers, also can I use other nuts I like, and what do you do with the rest of the papaya once you chop what you need for the salad or do you chop the entire papaya and store the rest in the refrigerator? Thank u
David says
This was perfect! I went light on the fish sauce because I’ve had that backfire on me before. As soon as I added the right amount it was แซ่บอีหลีเด้อ!!!
Baba Y says
This is the best papaya salad. All my guests minds were blown! I dream about it at night sometimes.
Adam The HTK Intern says
Awesome! 🙂
Cathelyn says
You are so adorable to watch! I love Papaya salad since a co- worker of mine introduced this dish to me. My son loves it too, so I must learn how to make this so we don’t have to order and have it delivered to find out it doesn’t have the same taste I was hoping for. Thanks for sharing this video!
bo says
my fave dish!
Mark says
I love this but recently was out of dried shrimp and beans so added substituted broccoli and corn. The broccoli florets absorb a lot of the sauce too!
Chris says
How exactly does one *substitute* broccoli and corn for dried shrimp and long beans? Must the substitute not bear at least some resemblance to the ingredient it’s standing in for?
Mark says
Not "authentic" but part of cooking is working with what you have to make something similar, yet different, but tastes great.
Justin says
Just made this after a trip to Hawaii. It is a faithful recreation of what I had there! I bought blanched peanuts and roasted them (so good!) and made Tamarind juice from pulp I got from the Asian store by my house. They even had some very good green papaya for cheap! Thank you for this excellent recipe!
Sara Cohen says
I made the recipe as instructed.it was delicious! I didn’t have tamarind at home so I decided to use a little balsamic vinegar. It came out delicious! I have a papaya tree in front of my house. I look forward to adding this dish to my repertoire
. Thank you.
Brigette says
this recipe is everything you could ever want! I can't believe I've never made it at home - its so easy!
San says
I made this but since we don't have palm sugar I used muscovado, I also adjusted the chili's as my family don't like spicy food and skipped the dried shrimp and tamarind as it's not available in the grocery. So delicious, reminded me of the papaya salad I had when I went to Thailand.
Thank you, Pailin! 🙂
Sh says
Best green papaya salad I ever had. unfortunately the papaya I used was a bit ripe. Still, turned out perfect.
Ruth says
Absolutely perfect! I lived in thailand for several years and ate som tum multiple times per week. It was the food that I was saddest to leave behind when we moved back to Canada. I never tried ordering it at a restaurant for fear that it wouldn't taste the same, and would ruin my fond memories. Your recipe tasted just as I remember the som tum on my soi tasting, and I practically cried as I ate it. Thank you!!
Adam The HTK Intern says
Awwww! Thanks Ruth! I just passed this on to Pailin to make sure she sees it 🙂
Robbie says
So damn good!
Anupama says
Could I use the korean tiny fermented shrimp that goes in kimchi instead of dried shrimp? It's what I have but I don't want to mess up my dressing!
Pailin Chongchitnant says
You could just leave it out. Don't add fermented anything to it or it will change the flavour!
Michele says
Awesome recipe, love som tam, a family favourite
Robert says
A classic Thai dish found on most every Thai restaurant menu. Who knew I could make as good a version at home? The HTK recipe and accompanying video are all you need to make an authentic Som Tum.
Michael says
Best Thai salad ever!
I make it once a week and I eat it every day when I'm visiting Thailand.
Great original recipe here from Pai.
Stephen Chan says
My all-time favourite Thai salad, and is one of my first recipes I tried with Pai's recipes, so good and it's always in my rotation from day one till now.