How To: Make a Thai-style green papaya salad

This authentic green papaya salad is made in a North Thailand way that is sure to keep you coming back for more! No only will you learn this magnificent recipe, but you'll learn how to make sure you have the perfect papaya from the grocery shop, which can be a bit tricky.

Emilie Hardman shares her recipe for a fresh, fragrant and healthy vegan salad. Using a mortar and pestle, which Emilie tells us has a dual purpose in this dish, she texturizes the papaya and carrots to meld with lime juice, tomatoes, Thai chiles and aromatic Thai basil. A sprinkling of dry roasted peanuts completes the picture which is ready to serve alone or as a colorful side dish.

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 4

* ½ lb green papaya, peeled, seeded & shredded
* 2 medium carrots, peeled & shredded
* 1-3 Thai bird chiles (red or green), or to taste
* 2 cloves garlic, smashed & peeled
* ½ tsp sea salt
* zest of ½ lime
* 2 tbsp palm sugar (or dark brown sugar)
* 1 tomato, rough chopped
* 1 tbsp tamari (or soy or fish sauce)
* 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
* ¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
* ¼ cup Thai basil leaves, chopped
* ¼ cup dry roasted peanuts, lightly crushed, chopped or whole

Special Equipment

* Shredder
* mortar & pestle
* microplane or zester
* citrus juicer

HOW-TO:

1. Place shredded green papaya and carrots in the bowl of a mortar. Smash and grind to soften papaya with pestle until the flesh turns a milky-white color. This will help the salad absorb more of the dressing. Remove to a medium-sized bowl
2. Place chiles, garlic, palm sugar, salt and lime peel in the mortar bowl. Work into a paste. Add tomatoes and incorporate into chile paste
3. Add mixture to papaya and carrots, and add soy sauce and lime juice. Toss to combine. Adjust seasonings if needed
4. Top with peanuts and serve