Ingredients:
· 1 large green papaya (not to be confused with pawpaw)
· 1 garlic clove
· Handful cherry tomatoes (halved)
· Handful peanuts (roasted or fried)
· 5 snake/long beans or a handful of French beans
· 1-2 Thai bird’s-eye chillies or one large red chilli if you don’t want it too spicy
· 1 tbsp fish sauce (or Thai light soy if you want it vegetarian)
· 2 tbsp tamarind juice
· 2 limes squeezed (save the empty limes)
· 1 tsp palm sugar dissolved in boiling water
· 6-8 prawns (optional)
Method:
Peel the skin off the papaya, cut in half and scrape out the seeds.
Grate the papaya with a Julienne peeler or grater.
Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl. The sauce should be sweet, sour and salty.
Pound the chilli and garlic in the pestle and mortar (or mixing bowl), then add the beans and prawns (if using prawns). Bruise and then add the papaya, tomatoes and peanuts.
Pour in the sauce.
With a large spoon in one hand and pestle in the other (this may take some practice), scoop and pound until everything is well combined, and the juice of the tomatoes has made its way into the dressing.
Scoop onto a plate, making sure you get all that lovely dressing.
Serve with absolutely anything or just eat it on its own.
. Recipe courtesy of chef Gary Butler featured on www.fanclubthailand.co.uk.
