Green papaya salad

Green papaya is said to help fight stomach ulcers. It also aids digestion.

Green papaya should always be stored in the fridge and used within one week.

The seeds of the green papaya should be discarded, whereas ripe papaya seeds can be dried and ground and used as a substitute for black pepper.


Green papaya - Part 1.

Light and tangy, this makes a great appetiser or quick-fix lunch.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1/2 medium green papaya, finely sliced
5 lettuce leaves, shredded
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 chilli padi, chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup coriander leaves
4 frozen crabsticks, thawed and thinly sliced
100g honey-baked ham, finely sliced
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, crushed

Dressing:
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
4 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 heaped tsp chopped garlic
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp fine brown sugar

Method:
1. Pat dry shredded green papaya. Arrange lettuce and cherry tomatoes on a serving dish.
2. Whisk all the salad dressing ingredients together.
3. Add chilli padi, shallots, coriander and green papaya to the dressing and mix well.
4. Put green papaya, along with the dressing, sliced crabsticks and ham on top of the lettuce.
5. Garnish with ground peanuts and serve immediately.

Tips:
Add 2 tsp small dried shrimps (soaked first) to the dressing.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (May 2007)

Thai green papaya salad

Som Tam - Thai green papaya salad.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 garlic, skinned
2 shallots, skinned
3 chilli padi
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp palm sugar
Lime juice, to taste
3 green beans, cut into 3cm lengths
1 large tomato, cut into wedges
2 cups finely shredded green papaya flesh
1 tbsp roasted peanuts, chopped

Method:
1. Pound garlic, shallots and chillies in a mortar.
2. Add fish sauce and sugar. Mix well. Adjust to taste with lime juice.
3. Add green beans and tomato. Use the pestle to mix the vegetable with the dressing. Avoid mashing the vegetables.
4. Add green papaya. Pound lightly and mix well using the pestle.
5. To serve, spoon peanuts on top.

Recipe source: Food and Travel magazine (Feb 2007)

Mango daiquiri

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 fresh mangoes
1/8 cup lime juice
2 1/2 cup crushed ice
Sugar syrup to taste
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup cointreau
Starfruit or dragonfruit (for decoration)

Method:
1. Peel the mangoes and remove the seeds.
2. Put the flesh in a blender with lime juice, crushed ice and a little sugar syrup. Blend until smooth.
3. Add rum and cointreau to the fruit cocktail and blend again.
4. Pour into glasses. Decorate glasses with slices of starfruit or dragonfruit.

Tips:
You can experiment with fruits like kiwi, watermelon and papaya.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (Dec 2006)