Som Tam Spicy Papaya Salad Thai
ส้มตำ Som Tam (Spicy Papaya Salad), a Thai Favorite
Som Tam comes from the northeastern “Isaan” region of Thailand which is near the border of Laos. Residents eat this meal daily for lunch or dinner. It is usually accompanied by “Gai Yang” - barbequed chicken or pork and some condiments: cucumber, lettuce, and green beans. Som Tam Thai has peanuts, and dried baby shrimp. Som Tam is very delicious and my favorite Thai food! My husband has also grown to like it - he says it’s addictive.
ส้มตำ
Som Tam Recipe
Prepare:
2 cups coarsely graded unripe Papaya
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1-4 small red or green chilis
(in Isaan we often use 10 or more!)
2 garlic cloves
1 long squirt of fish sauce
1 lemon/lime (minao in Thai)
1/4 cup yardlong beans (green beans) if you wish
Dash of salt, sugar to preference (1 tsp)
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Instructions
1. Combine chili peppers, garlic, tomatoes, salt, sugar, with mortar and pestle. The sound of pounding the ingredients makes a bpok bpok noise. Some people call som tam, “Bpok Bpok”! Some parents in Thailand name their kid Bpok!
2. Squirt in some fish oil and squeeze the lemon juice into the mix. Add the papaya in small groups to make sure it mixes well.
When mixed thoroughly serve in a bowl. Rice is always served with this - the som tam is eaten with rice to take the spice out of it a bit, and just because Thai people eat LOTS of rice! Sticky rice (steamed rice) is the preferred rice in Isaan, but you can use boiled white Jasmine rice.
This video is of a night market close to Teung C. Muang park in Ubon Ratchathani in the northeast of Thailand (Isaan region). This woman is my favorite som tam maker. You can see her squeezing the “minao” (lemon/lime) and adding the papaya to the mortar and pestle. She makes HUNDREDS of these dishes everyday! > Som Tam Woman Video
ENJOY!
Gang Som Naw Mai Dong (Spicy Bamboo Soup)
Gang Som Naw Mai Dong
(Spicy Bamboo Soup)
แกงส้มหน่อไม้ดอง
Kang Som No Mai Dong
(Spicy Bamboo Soup)
Prepare:
5 Peppers
6 red onions (sliced)
3 lemongrass stalks (finely cut)
3 scallions (cut short, about 1″)
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. fish sauce
1 pound chicken breast (cut thick)
1.5 pound pickled bamboo shoots
1/2 cup basil
2 cups water
See Gang Som Thai Food Video >
1. Make paste by mixing peppers, cut lemongrass, red onion and chop it in the blender.
2. Put 2 cups of water in the pot, and use high heat. Then add the paste from step 1 along with 1 tsp. of salt.
3. Wait until the water has boiled, then put chicken breast, pickled bamboo shoots, and 6 tbsp. of fish sauce.
4. Cook for 8-10 minutes with high heat.
5. Turn off the fire, add scallion and basil.
6. Serve over Jasmine rice. Your rice is important, there are many varieties. Usually if you buy expensive Jasmine rice in the Asian market you’ll get the better rice.
This is another of my husband’s favorite recipes. It is a spicy and sour soup that is served over rice. The smell of the pickled bamboo and the lemongrass and basil altogether is almost overwhelming. It’s incredibly delicious and a Thai favorite.
If you have suggestions for what you’d like us to cook, please write… trythaifood@gmail.com.
We will try to bring you a Thai Food Recipe and Cooking article everyday! Make sure you view some of the videos too! At some point we’ll put all the videos - in better quality of course, on a CD-ROM and offer them for sale.
Ok, Merry Christmas!
Pad Phet Sator (Bean Stir Fry)
Pad Phet Sator (Bean Stir Fry)
This dish is one of my husband’s favorites. He really loves the green fava beans. He said he’s never had them in America, but some ethnic groups in New York love them - so he’s heard.
This bean is from a large pod that may be 1 foot long and 3-4″ wide. They are plentiful here in Thailand. It should be available in the USA in Asian grocery stores. Here’s a great photo of it, look at 5th photo down list “Stink Bean” they call it. But, it really doesn’t stink!
This bean has a delicious flavor - just a touch of sourness to it which makes it a very unique taste. As I said, my husband enjoys when I cook this recipe!
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See Pad Phet Sator Video >
Video will take 5 mins to download with a fast connection.
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Pad Phet Sator
(Bean Stir Fry)
Prepare:
minced garlic 1 tbsp.
finely cut kaffir lime leaves 1 tbsp.
3 chilis (halved, or small pieces)
green beans (tree genus parkia) 300g.
Pork (Slice it thin and big pieces) 300g
Shrimp 300g.
Panang Curry Paste 1 tsp.
Oyster sauce 2 tbsp.
Fish sauce 1 tbsp.
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Olive oil or Soy bean oil 1-2 tbsp.
Water 1 cup
Cooking Instructions:
1. Heat the pan and put 1 tbsp. of olive oil, wait until it’s hot. Then, put minced garlic and chilis into a hot pan.
2. When the garlic smells nice, add pork and cook until it’s well done (5-8 minutes, or longer if you prefer)
3. You can pour in some water when the pan is getting too dry.
4. Put Panang curry paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in it and stir fry until they are all mixed.
5. Add shrimp and beans, cook for 2 minutes using medium heat.
6. Turn off the fire, throw in finely cut kaffir lime leaves and mixed together.
7. Serve on top of jasmine rice.
Sawasdee Ka! (Hello from Thailand)
Sawasdee Ka!
Sawasdee Ka! I’m “Joy”…
This means hello in the language of my home, Thailand. Actually it’s pronounced “Suh wat dee ka”.
This blog is for you to learn a little about Thai food and what it is made of, how it looks, how it tastes, and how to order it in a restaurant if you don’t have time for cooking. If you do have time to cook we will have many recipes for you to try at your home!
We will have sound files, video files, photos, and text to help you learn about many different Thai foods.
If you know about “feeds” join us with the orange feedburner link at the top right side of all pages. If not, don’t worry, just bookmark” us in your “favorites” and come back and see us often.
Thank you for visiting us…
Sawasdee Ka!
(yes, it also means goodbye!)
