Lao Papaya Salad

Lao Papaya Salad

Lao Papaya Salad

Many southeast Asian countries have their version of papaya salad. Laos is where it all originated from. Papaya salad has a certain funk to it that I can’t get enough of. The combination in the dressing of shrimp and crab paste, lime juice, fish sauce, tomatoes, and sugar, for some reason is very pleasing to me. The dressing is tossed with shredded green papaya, long beans, and Thai eggplant. Serve the papaya salad with sticky rice.
Prep Time15 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Laotian
Keyword: Laotian, salad, side dish, Southeast Asian
Author: Alex Gorgos

Equipment

  • mortar and pestle

Ingredients

  • 4 cups green papaya shredded
  • 4 bird’s eye chilies finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves sliced
  • 1/2 tsp shrimp paste
  • 1/2 tsp crab paste
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp lime juice
  • 8 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 cup long beans cut into 1” pieces
  • 2 Thai eggplant sliced

Instructions

  • Pound in the garlic, chilies, shrimp, and crab paste in a mortar with a pestle.
    Laotian, side dish, salad
  • Add in the fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar.
    Laotian, side dish, salad
  • Add in the cherry tomatoes. Lightly pound them until they release their juices.
    Laotian, side dish, salad
  • Toss the dressing with the shredded papaya, long beans, and Thai eggplant.
    Laotian, side dish, salad
Laotian, side dish, salad
Serve the papaya salad with sticky rice.