Thai Papaya Salad

You can make this delicious salad as spicy as you like - the below recipe is on the firey side so if you don't like too much chilli just use one chilli!

Som Tam

Serves 4 as a side salad Preparation time 10 minutes

1 large green papaya, peeled and seeds removed

1 large carrot, peeled

2 cloves of garlic

2 small red chillies

1 small green chilli

1 handful of raw green beans, topped and tailed

2 tsp palm or brown sugar (waitrose have started selling palm sugar)

1 tbsp roasted peanuts

1 tsp dried shrimp (optional)

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp lime juice

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Finely grate the papaya and carrot (preferably into long strands with a hand serated peeler) and set aside. Place the garlic and chillies in a pestle and mortar and pound to a smooth paste. Add 5 or 6 of the beans and pounds again. Add the sugar, lime, dried shrip, if uing, fish sauce and peanuts and pound for a final time. Add the papaya, carrot, tomatos and remaining green beans to the pestle and mortar (or to a bowl if your pestle and mortar are too small) and toss through the dressing. Chill until you are ready to serve.