Description
Tam Sua is a vibrant Thai papaya salad featuring a delicious mix of shredded green papaya, fresh rice vermicelli noodles, and a tangy, spicy dressing made from fish sauce, tamarind, palm sugar, and lime. This refreshing and quick salad perfectly balances sour, salty, sweet, and spicy flavors, making it an excellent light meal or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Fresh Produce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 chilies (adjust to taste)
- 1 small lime
- ¼ cup small tomatoes (sliced)
- ⅔ cup green papaya (shredded)
- 5 culantro leaves (chopped)
- 1 handful bean sprouts
Condiments & Sauces
- 3 tablespoons fermented fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon palm sugar
Others
- 1½ cups fresh rice vermicelli noodles
Instructions
- Prep the papaya: Peel the green papaya and shred it into thin, uniform strips to ensure an even texture and optimal flavor absorption.
- Crush garlic and chilies: Using a mortar and pestle, roughly pound the garlic cloves and chilies until they are crushed, releasing their vibrant flavors for the dressing.
- Make the dressing: Add the fish sauce, fermented fish sauce, tamarind paste, palm sugar, and the juice of the lime into the mortar with the crushed garlic and chilies. Mix and press everything together until the palm sugar dissolves completely and the dressing becomes well combined.
- Add tomatoes: Introduce the sliced small tomatoes to the dressing and gently bruise them with the pestle, allowing their juices to blend into the dressing for a balanced taste.
- Add papaya: Toss in the shredded green papaya and mix thoroughly, ensuring each strip is well coated with the tangy and spicy dressing.
- Add noodles: Add the fresh rice vermicelli noodles and fold them gently into the papaya mixture, combining without breaking the noodles.
- Finish and serve: Sprinkle the chopped culantro leaves and bean sprouts over the salad, toss lightly once more, and serve immediately to enjoy the fresh, vibrant flavors.
Notes
- Fresh rice vermicelli noodles are preferred as they have a tender texture; soak dried noodles in warm water if fresh are unavailable.
- Adjust chili quantity to your spice preference.
- If you cannot find culantro leaves, cilantro can be used as a substitute.
- This salad is best served immediately for freshness and crunch.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Tam Sua, Thai papaya salad, rice vermicelli salad, Thai salad, green papaya salad, spicy salad, fermented fish sauce
