Som Tum

Name: Som Tum
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed; 1 shallot, minced; 2 small fresh chiles, preferably Thai, stemmed, seeded, and minced; 2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce); 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste; 2 teaspoons sugar, or more to taste; 1 green (unripe) papaya, peeled, seeded, and shredded; 2 or 3 yard-long beans or about a dozen green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths; 1 small tomato, cored and cut into eighths; 2 tablespoons finely chopped dry-roasted peanuts; Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

By Mark Bittman

Published November 29, 2023

This fiery, strong northern Thai specialty has become one of the most popular dishes in Thailand and at Thai restaurants in the States. When I was in Bangkok, I could not walk down the streets or through the markets without at least a dozen offers of Som Tum from the vendors, and it was hard not to stop for a little dish with some grilled meat and sticky rice.

Photo: Daniel Meyer

Recipe

Starters, Soups, and Salads

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You can usually find green, or unripe, papayas and yard-long beans (and the Thai fish sauce called nam pla) at Asian or Latin groceries, but you can also substitute Granny Smith apples for the papaya and Napa cabbage for the beans.

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