"Som Tam" Thai Salad

The Recycled Cook

By Adrian Sleeman

"Som Tam" Thai Salad



Traditionally this salad is made with Green Papaya but they are a little hard to get in Carmarthen so I have made this dish, as always, with what I had available. In this case that was carrots and courgette, the latter courtesy of my neighbour's allotment.

 This salad makes a really great accompaniment to Thai food but also works well as a side dish, a starter or just a healthy snack.

 Preparation time is about ten minutes but don't rush if using the Mandolin.
What Thai people call a Salad feels more like a pickle to me as they use citrus juice (lime or lemon), Fish sauce (Nam Pla) and vinegar in their preparation. The Thai term for salad can be confusing for Westerners.
Mandolin with shield
Carrot and Courgette


















Start by shredding your vegetables into thin ribbons, I used a Mandolin with a medium side shredding attachment but a potato peeler and a knife will do the job nicely. If using a Mandolin please take care and always use the shield.

Do the same with the courgette or whatever other vegetable you are using, cucumber, parsnip or swede would also work well. If you can find green papaya locally then you are really making authentic Thai "Som Tam" salad.
Add two finely chopped crushed garlic cloves, some coriander and two small red chillies if you don't want too much heat de-seed but for an authentic Thai kick just slice them thinly.

Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon or a whole lime, 
I used lemon simply because I had no limes (note to self buy limes), which would have been my preference. Now add a tablespoon each of Thai Fish Sauce (Nam Pla), Rice wine vinegar (I have used Chinese but any oriental rice wine vinegar will do) and, although not usually used in Thai cooking I added some Mirin (Japanese cooking Sake) for added sweetness. You could of course use a sprinkling of sugar instead of the Mirin.
"Som Tam"
Your "Som Tam" is now ready to cover with cling film and put in the fridge until you need it. Ideally you should use this the same day for maximum freshness but the vinegar and citrus juice will preserve this well so it should keep for up to a week without any problem.

 After that it will still be edible but will have lost its crispness and will by then be more like a true pickle.

 I served this as an accompaniment to home made Thai fishcakes with garlic and coriander noodles but it will work well with most Thai food or fish dishes.


Disclaimer: The suggestions and tips on these blog pages are meant to be used in conjunction with common sense. Keeping your family healthy is the priority. Do not use food that is unfit for human consumption and always follow sensible food hygiene guidelines.

  

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/homehygiene/Pages/food-leftovers-safety.aspx


Always be careful in the kitchen, we accept no responsibility for any accidents caused as a direct or indirect result of preparing any of these dishes. Children should not be allowed to handle sharp cooking implements without the supervision of an adult. 

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