Give Peas A Chance Lao style Papaya Salad (Thum Mak Houng)

 

Updating my Thum Mak Houng post here on Give Peas A Chance since my last one is from I don't know before 2010 I think? Doesn't matter. This is how I personally make my Lao Green Papaya salad, also known as Thum Mak Houng. Thai call this Som Thum and they make theirs sweeter, without the pa deak, and they add peanuts. I prefer the Lao version. 

 

You can use as many Thai Bird Chilies as you like, I know people who do 1 and I have seen people do 100. I do 10-12 depending on the tree I got the chilies off of. The tree I have now, I use 10, unless I dry them then I use 8. The heat is concentrated for me when they are dry.

A mortar and pestle really works best for the dressing part of the salad. Above I have my garlic, chilies, and one palm sugar disk. The small ones. It's about a tablespoon.

For my sour tamarind concentrate, I boil peeled tamarind in a little bit of water until I get a thick paste/concentrate. Then let it cool. I was just talking to my mom and she said I can boil the palm sugar and other aromatics with this to keep in the fridge to use, so next time I will try that.

I get my padeak from my aunt who makes it and then boils it. It is amazing. I am running out as you can see on the far right. The bottle on the second to the right side is one I purchased from someone local. I hope it is boiled and just as good. If you don't want the funk that the padeak gives, leave it out.

I love my papaya salad saucy and with extra tomatoes.

Give Peas A Chance Lao style Papaya Salad (Thum Mak Houng)

Green Papaya, peeled and julienne (2.5 cups about? I never measure)

Thai bird chilies (1-100 depending on your taste, seriously. My usual is 10-12)

Garlic clove (1 clove is what I use  )

Palm Sugar (about 3/4 tablespoon)

Lime juice (1 wedge)

Tomatoes (15 cherry tomatoes halved or 1-2 Roma sliced into rounds)

MSG (Optional) (1/2 teaspoon)

Mushroom seasoning (optional, my mom prefers this over MSG)

Salt (1/4 teaspoon, optional since the fish sauce and pa deak is already salty)

Fish sauce (1 Tablespoon)

Pa deak - fermented fish sauce (1Tablespoon)

Tamarind concentrate (1 Tablespoon)

Other optional add-ins

Fermented crab

Coconut nectar 

You also need a mortar and pestle

1. Using a mortar and pestle mash up your chilies and garlic. 
2. Add palm sugar and mash to incorporate.
3. Add lime juice, MSG, Mushroom seasoning, salt, fish sauce, pa deak, and tamarind concentrate. Mix well and start tasting. This is the dressing for your papaya so make it to YOUR taste. 
4. Add the tomatoes and papaya and toss gently. 
5. Enjoy!

Sometimes we add other things to our Thum Mak Houng like:

cooked rice vermicelli

cooked seafood- squid, crab, shrimp

raw shrimp

pho meatballs