Vietnamese Green Papaya & Prawn Salad
Inroduction
About this Recipe
By: Sheridan Rogers
This light, refreshing, crunchysalad is a popular snack – or street food -usually served in small quantities throughout Vietnam. The Vietnamese like to eat thin slices of sweet dried pork or beef with it. If you have a mandoline with a grater attachment, use it to shred the green papaya. It always reminds of a beautiful movie I once saw, The Scent of the Green Papaya.
Ingredients
- green papaya 250g, peeled and seeded
- ripe tomatoes quartered and seeded
- cooked baby prawns 125g, peeled and cleaned
- freshly chopped herbs (such as coriander, Vietnamese mint, basil) 1/4 cup, strained
- freshly roasted peanuts 1/4 cup, crushed
- water 125ml (1/2 cup)
- white wine vinegar (or fresh lime juice) 2 tablespoons
- fish sauce 1 tablespoon
- caster sugar 3-4 teaspoons
- garlic 1 clove, peeled and crushed
- small red chilli 1, seeded and finely chopped
Grate the papaya into long thin shreds (best way is with a mandoline with grater attachment). Slice the tomato skins thinly. Toss together with the shredded papaya, prawns and herbs. Season with the dressing – it should taste sweet/sour. Sprinkle over the crushed peanuts. For the dressing: dissolve the sugar in the white wine vinegar then stir in the water, fish sauce, garlic and chill. Pile the salad up on a serving platter. Tip: if you have access to Vietnamese mint and Thai Holy Basil, use those.