Mom’s Authentic Thai Som Tum (Papaya Salad)
One of my favorite things in the entire world to eat is Mom’s Authentic Thai Som Tum (Papaya Salad). Papaya, carrots and lots of other delicious veggies come together with lemon, garlic and fish sauce to make a perfect salad. This is perfection when served with hot Jasmine rice and roasted chicken or ribs.
Som tum is one of those amazing comfort dishes for me. My Mom made this side dish countless times and it was always a favorite. I absolutely loved her Thai hot sauces that she would make and I loved her som tum. She always served one of them with dinner and they were always perfect.
Thai food is always my favorite dinner cuisine. It’s healthy and there are so many layers of sweet, salty, spicy heat. Steak and Asparagus Stir-Fry and Lemongrass Chicken are perfect examples of this delicious Thai flavor combination.
I feel closer to her every single time I make this and I love making this for my children so much. I find myself telling stories about her whenever I make a batch to go with dinner. That’s what comfort food is all about. Making you feel warm and nostalgic and remembering all of the happy moments of your childhood.
Sharing recipes specifically like this one is the entire reason that I started my food blog. I wanted to share the knowledge and love that was instilled in me as a home chef. Making the foods I grew up on is one of my favorite things to do in life. I feel immense pride and happiness feeding my little family and passing on my love for traditional foods.
What if I don’t have every vegetable in the recipe?
You don’t necessarily need to use every vegetable listed in this recipe. You can mix and match a few of the different vegetables. I would suggest if you’re replacing any vegetables that you’re omitting or are unable to find, that you add extra shredded carrots and/or papaya.
What if I am mortar and pestle-less?
My mortar is a tad on the small side for this quantity of Thai som tum so I prepare everything in a large mixing bowl. I use my pestle to crush ingredients directly in the bowl.
If you find yourself without a mortar and pestle, you can use a large mixing bowl to replace the mortar. When in a pinch, you can fashion yourself a pestle. You can use a 26 ounce container of all purpose salt and put it inside a ziplock bag. Then crush and beat your ingredients, per usual.
What is the best way to shred the vegetables for Mom’s Authentic Thai Som Tum (Papaya Salad)?
You can definitely chop and shred your som tum vegetables the old fashioned way, by hand. There are also several great shredding tools available on the market today. I remember always watching my Mom make a big production of her vegetable shredding. So, when she found a shredding tool at our local Thai grocery store, her mind was blown. I highly recommend investing in some sort of julienne peeler tool. They are inexpensive and a major time saver.
What is MSG?
MSG stands for monosodium glutamate. It is a seasoning that enhances the flavor of food. MSG lends a very unique, savory and umami flavor to your cooking. It is readily available at your local Thai store or easy to find online. I really feel like the MSG adds something special that you really can’t replace with anything. You can omit it from the recipe but I really think you’ll be missing out on some extra special flavor.
Directions
Cut and/or shred the papaya, eggplant, Thai eggplant, shredded carrots, buttercup squash and green beans. Cut them to be roughly the size and shape of a matchstick. Add everything to a large mixing bowl.
Chop the cherry tomatoes, garlic and Thai chilis. Spread the vegetables apart in the large mixing bowl so that you can access some of the bottom of the bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic and Thai chilis. Beat them with a pestle for 1 minute. Once pulverized, stir to mix in with the vegetables in the bowl. Continue to beat everything together with the pestle for 3 minutes until the vegetables soften and release their juices.
Add fish sauce, lemon and MSG (monosodium glutamate). Beat for 1 minute to combine with vegetables. Stir everything together to completely combine using a large spoon. Enjoy alone with jasmine rice or serve alongside your favorite roasted meats.
Let me know in the comments below how you love to eat your Thai Som Tum. As always, thank you for your support of the blog. It is very much appreciated!
Mom’s Authentic Thai Som Tum (Papaya Salad)
Ingredients
- 3 Cups papaya
- 1 Cup eggplant
- 1 Cup Thai eggplant
- 1 Cup shredded carrots
- 1 Cup buttercup squash
- 1 Cup green beans
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 7 Cloves garlic
- 3 Thai chilis
- ¾ Cup fish sauce
- 1 Lemon
- 1 Teaspoon MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Instructions
- Cut and/or shred the papaya, eggplant, Thai eggplant, shredded carrots, buttercup squash and green beans. Cut them to be roughly the size and shape of a matchstick. Add everything to a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the cherry tomatoes, garlic and Thai chilis. Spread the vegetables apart in the large mixing bowl so that you can access some of the bottom of the bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes, garlic and Thai chilis. Beat them with a pestle for 1 minute. Once pulverized, stir to mix in with the vegetables in the bowl. Continue to beat everything together with the pestle for 3 minutes until the vegetables soften and release their juices.
- Add fish sauce, lemon and MSG (monosodium glutamate). Beat for 1 minute to combine with vegetables. Stir everything together to completely combine using a large spoon. Enjoy alone with jasmine rice or serve alongside your favorite roasted meats.
Notes
- You may substitute any of the vegetables in this recipe if you cannot find them all. Substitute with additional papaya and/or shredded carrots.
- If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you may use a large mixing bowl for the mortar. Use a 26 ounce container of salt sealed in a zip lock bag as your make-shift pestle.
- Invest in an inexpensive julienne peeler to save time when shredding large quantities of food.
