Thai Green Papaya Salad Recipe ("Som Tam")

Ingredients:

• 1 green papaya (tip: buy your papaya at a Chinese grocer, and make sure it is labed "green papaya" )
• 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts (or plain roasted), or glazed cashews (see recipe link below)
• 1-2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into long thin strips
• 1 red chili, minced (seeds removed if you prefer a milder salad)
• 3 spring onions, sliced into long matchstick-like pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large
• handful of fresh coriander
• DRESSING:
• 1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (if vegetarian, substitute 1 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce, or soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. good-tasting oil, such as olive
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce (if vegetarian, use vegetarian fish sauce - available at Vietnamese food stores)
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tsp. honey

Preparation:

1. First, prepare the dressing by mixing together all dressing ingredients together in a cup. Make sure shrimp paste dissolves fully. Set aside.
2. Peel the green papaya, then slice it in half and remove all the white seeds. Using the largest grater you have, grate the papaya (or you can use a potato peeler to create thin, ribbon-like strips). Place in a large bowl.
3. Add the sliced tomato, spring onion, chili, bean sprouts, and most of the basil. Add the dressing, tossing to combine.
4. Add the peanuts or cashews* (you can either leave them whole, or roughly chop them). Toss again, and do a taste test. If you've used sweet glazed nuts, the salad should be sweet enough (if not, add a little more honey). If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce.
5. To serve, scoop salad into individual bowls or onto a serving platter. Sprinkle with remaining basil leaves plus fresh coriander. Serve immediately and ENJOY!

Make Ahead Tip: If you wish to make this salad ahead of time, combine all ingredients except the nuts and the dressing. You can then leave it covered in the refrigerator several hours, or overnight. Add the dressing and peanuts at the last minute, then toss and serve.