Green Papaya & Carrot Salad

They say som tam is heaven on its own, but this salad of crisp unripe papaya ribbons and spicy lime dressing also creates the perfect base for seared prawns, sliced beef or sticky pork belly. The pounding of the ingredients is key; even though most of us don’t own a Thai clay mortar and pestle you can improvise with a big bowl and the flat end of a rolling pin. Pounding infuses the flavour into the papaya and softens it. Three small bird’s eye chillies will make your salad spicy but not eye