January is here, and so is our resolve to eat better without sacrificing flavor and fun. At San Anselmo’s beloved restaurant The Baan Thai Cuisine, Chef Saifon Simma cooks with a keen attention to flavor in dishes that are as healthy as they are tasty. A must-have is her delicious green papaya salad. Equal parts sweet, tangy and salty with a little kick of heat, this Southeast Asian staple never disappoints. Of course, you can stop in to dine at this cozy neighborhood favorite any time, and now you can also recreate this classic at home. Enjoy!
Green Papaya Salad
Serves: 2–3
Ingredients:
2 cups julienned green papaya
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2–3 Thai chilies (depending on how spicy you want), finely chopped
½ tablespoon palm sugar
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4 long beans, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon ground peanuts
1 tomato, quartered
Sticky rice for serving, optional
Thinly sliced radish and julienned carrots for garnish, optional
Directions:
Place the papaya into a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes. Drain in a strainer until completely dry. You want as little water as possible so you don’t dilute the dressing.
In a large mortar and pestle, pound the garlic and Thai chilies. (If you do not have a mortar and pestle, finely chop on a cutting board and use the flat side of the knife to create a paste). Add the palm sugar and cane sugar, and mash until you have a wet paste. Add the fish sauce, tamarind concentrate and lime juice. Stir with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the long beans and pound with the pestle until they are broken. Stir in the ground peanuts.
Toss this with the shredded papaya and tomato. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with radish and carrots, if using, and serve at once with sticky rice, if desired.
