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Thai

Som tam

Non-vegetarian

ส้มตำ · som tam

Shredded unripe papaya pounded in a mortar with garlic, chillies, long beans and tomatoes, dressed with lime, fish sauce and palm sugar and topped with peanuts.

Som tam is a Thai salad, ready in about 20 minutes and made with lime juice and papaya. It serves 2 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Close-up of a traditional Thai som tam papaya salad with fresh vegetables.
Photo: Markus Winkler / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
20 min
Cook
0 min
Total
20 min
Serves
2
Level
Easy
Calories
214

Ingredients

2 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Peel the papaya (opens in a new tab) and shred it into long thin strips with a julienne peeler or the coarse side of a grater (opens in a new tab), discarding the white seeds.

  2. Step 2

    In a large mortar, pound the garlic (opens in a new tab) and chillies to a rough paste. Add the palm sugar (opens in a new tab), dried shrimp (opens in a new tab) if using and long beans and bruise them lightly.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), fish sauce (opens in a new tab) and lime juice (opens in a new tab), pressing the tomatoes so they release their juice.

    • 2 min

  4. Step 4

    Add the papaya (opens in a new tab) and alternate between gentle pounding and turning it over with a spoon, so it softens slightly and soaks up the dressing without turning to mush. Taste, adjust and serve straight away topped with peanuts.

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedPapaya salad is a staple of Laos and north-eastern Thailand (Isan); its exact origin is debated. This is the central Thai som tam Thai style with peanuts.Also popular in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Snack · Salads · Side dishes · Street food
Cooking method
Raw, No-cook
Taste
sour, spicy (chilli heat), fresh, salty
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Vegetarian (lacto-ovo), Eggetarian, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarianWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Street food · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Lime juice · Papaya · Garlic · Fresh red chilli · Jaggery / palm sugar · Green beans
Techniques
Knife skills

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Fishfrom fish sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Crustaceansfrom dried shrimp, fish sauce
  • Contains: Peanutsfrom roasted peanuts

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

214 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 293 g · recipe makes 2

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 11%
  • Carbohydrate 58%
  • Fat 31%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy214 kcal73 kcal
Protein6.6 g2.3 g
Carbohydrate33.7 g11.5 g
Net carbohydrate28.3 g9.7 g
Sugars22.5 g7.7 g
Added sugars6.5 g2.2 g
Fibre5.4 g1.8 g
Fat8.1 g2.8 g
Saturated fat1.3 g0.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium1414 mg483 mg
Salt equivalent3.5 g1.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
662 mg
Calcium
77 mg
Iron
1.4 mg
Magnesium
106 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
106 µg
Vitamin C
120 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
99 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: dried shrimp.
  • Jaggery / palm sugar: Brown sugar (FDC 168833) used as a stand-in for unrefined cane jaggery and palm sugar.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soak the shredded papaya in iced water for 10 minutes for an extra-crunchy salad, then drain well.

Common mistakes

  • Making it ahead — the papaya weeps and the salad turns watery within half an hour.

Serve with

  • Classic with sticky rice and grilled chicken (gai yang).

Food safety

  • Dried shrimp and raw green papaya salad should be eaten within an hour of making; do not keep leftovers.

Storage

  • Does not keep; dress just before eating.

Variations

  • Som tam with dried shrimp: Pound a tablespoon of small dried shrimp with the garlic and chillies, as many Bangkok vendors do.
  • Tam lao / som tam pla ra (Thailand): The Lao and Isan style uses fermented fish sauce (padaek / pla ra) instead of peanuts and sugar, giving a pungent, salty salad.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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