Raw Pawpaw Salad

One local favourite food in Darwin, NT Australia is the famous Thai Green Pawpaw Salad! Pawpaw is another word for papaya! Then one can argue that Laksa is the most popular food in Darwin, and that is also the truth. Well one day, I'll cook Vegetarian Laksa, Singapore Style!  Now as a fan of raw food, I've loved making both green and ripe pawpaw salads using mainly raw and vegetarian ingredients & options.  Then I've also learnt a few tips from the sellers at the local Parap & Rapid Creek markets! 

If you have a clay mortar, wooden pestle and a spatula, smash a clove of garlic first, then add green beans, shredded green papaya and halved cherry tomatoes. Pound a few times just to bruise the vegetables and get the juice out of the tomatoes. Add chillies and crush them just enough to release the hotness, unless you like your salad really hot. Add the raw peanuts, tamarind or soy sauce, and lime juice. Use the pestle to push the mixture up in the mortar and the spatula to push it down so that the mixture is mixed well.

However, if you do not have a big enough mortar you can crush garlic and green beans on a chopping board. Set them aside in a large bowl. Add tamarind or soy sauce, raw nuts and lime juice to the bowl. Add shredded green papaya and cut tomatoes and mix well.

What you need, and how much you need is your choice and preference. Below are ingredients normally used but I've also experimented and added some other healthy options.  

1. One whole green or ripe pawpaw (shredded)
2. Green beans (sliced)
3. Tomatoes (chopped)
4. Capsicum (sliced)
5. Garlic (crushed)
6. Onions (chopped)
7. Tamarind or soy sauce
8. Raw nuts (crushed)
9. Lime juice
10. Chilies (sliced)
11. Pineapple (cubed)
12. Coconut flakes (optional)

Enjoy!  

©Joy Madden, September 2019