Green Papaya Salad

Though all salads are healthy. But, if you are looking for a particular salad that will hold your hands during your weight loss journey, then this is the one. It is filled with health benefits, and its sweet and sour flavors will make you want more.

What is Green Papaya Salad?

Green papaya salad, also known as Som Tam, is a traditional Thai salad made with green papaya and a hot chile pepper sauce. This salad’s flavors erupt in your mouth—sweet, tangy, crunchy, and with a hint of spiciness—making it the ideal side dish or light meal.

This scrumptious green papaya salad recipe fulfills all of my demands. It’s filled with crunchy ingredients and thrown in an addicting spicy, sour dressing.

Som Tam is one of the most popular salads on the menu of any Thai restaurant, but believe me when I say that this homemade version is even better! You can produce a fantastic version at home if you keep a few ideas and methods in mind.

This Thai Papaya Salad is a popular street food in Bangkok, is light on the stomach, and may be topped with chicken or shrimp for a complete meal. I frequently offer it on the side with my hearty Thai stew and jasmine rice.

It is vegan and gluten-free and thus is a great food to have during your weight loss journey. They are also filled with a number of health benefits.

Health Benefits of Green Papaya

• Papain, a protein-digesting enzyme found in unripe green papaya, is beneficial to patients who suffer from digestive or pancreatic issues.
• Unripe green papaya peel contains polyphenol chemicals that have strong antioxidant capabilities and provide protection against oxidative damage. Antioxidants are important in skin care because they reduce the inflammation that causes acne.
• Unripe papaya helps manage homocysteine levels in the blood by converting them to amino acids, lowering the risk of blood vessel damage.

So, now that you know why green papaya is so beneficial. You must try out this amazing and easy-to-make salad.

Notable Ingredients At A Glance

Green Papaya – Green papaya is the same orange and juicy orange papaya. It is green because it is unripe. Green papaya is crisp (though not juicy), with a mild flavor, even milder than cucumbers. Outside of India, you’ll find Raw Papaya in Indian grocery stores.

Other Vegetables – Along with green papaya, this recipe calls for some other vegetables like red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, and cucumber, all cut into julienne strips.

Peanuts – Crushed toasted peanuts give crunch and bite to any dish, and I love how nicely they complement the other elements in this salad.

Coriander & Sesame Seeds – You can garnish the salad with some fresh coriander and sesame seeds. It will add up to the flavors of the salad.

Dressing – This papaya salad dressing is made using simple ingredients. It includes:

• Garlic finely minced
• Lemon juice
• Sesame oil
• Sweetener – Honey/Jaggery(powdered)

How To Prepare Green Papaya Salad?

First, cut the papaya and other vegetables into thin juliennes.

Next, prepare the dressing. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients needed for the dressing and keep them aside.

Now, take a large mixing bowl and add all the vegetables needed for the salad. To it, add the roasted crushed peanuts along with the dressing.

Toss them all very well so that the vegetables are well coated with the dressing.

Garnish with some more roasted peanuts, chopped coriander leaves, and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Some Expert Tips For Preparing Green Papaya Salad

• You can also include a tablespoon of chopped shrimp along with the veggies.
• You can add in other vegetables like tomatoes, carrots, and beans.
• Green papaya can be shredded ahead of time and stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The completed salad is best eaten right once because the green papaya may soften significantly if left in the dressing for too long.