Plara or Padaek is a fermented fish sauce made from small fish, rice bran, and salt and fermented for months. The sauce is commonly used in salads, soups, and sauces in Laos, Isaan, and Thai dishes.

What is Laos som tum?

Laos Som Tum is similar to the famous Thai Papaya salad. It's actually a dish that originated from Laos and migrated to Thailand's Isaan region and eventually to all other parts of Thailand.

What is som tum in Thai?

Som Tum in Thai translates to "Sour Pounding," referring to the pounding method used to make the salad using lots of sour, tangy, sweet, and savory flavors from various sauces.

How do you make som tum?

Som Tam is traditionally made in a clay mortar and pestle using green papaya like this Tum Mark Hoong recipe. But Som tam can be made with many fruit and vegetables using Asian cucumbers, green beans, carrots, apples, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, and so on!

What other vegetable can I use to make Thai Som Tum?

Various versions of Som Tams use different fruits and vegetables like cucumbers, green beans, carrots, apples, mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, and so on!

How do you make som tum?

Som Tam is traditionally made in a clay mortar and pestle using green papaya. The ingredients are pounded together, and fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind, sugar, and fermented fish create the most flavorful flavors.

The differences between Thai, Laos, and Isaan Som Tum

The difference between Thai, Lao, and Isaan Som Tum is that Lao and Isaan Som Tams are more pungent and spicy, using fermented ingredients like Padaek (fermented fish), shrimp paste, crab paste, and fish sauce. Thai Som Tum is less spicy with sweeter and lighter flavors, using more sugar and peanuts for added crunch.

Thai Spicy Long Green Bean Salad (Som Tum Tua)

Name: Thai Spicy Long Green Bean Salad (Som Tum Tua)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 1 large cloves of garlic; 1-5 fresh Thai chilis, as needed for your spice level; 2 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 2.5 inches pieces; 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved; 1 Thai eggplant cut into 1-inch pieces; 1/3 cup shredded carrots. Use The Kiwi peeler to shred or use match stick carrot slices.; 1 tablespoon Pla Ra, fermented fish sauce is not the same as fish sauce; 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice. Add one slice of squeezed lime rind to release oil and a slightly bitter taste.; 2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate; 1/4 cup dried shrimp; 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce. (I used 3 crab brands); 2-3 tablespoon sugar. Palm, brown, white, agave, or honey work as sweeteners. Add more towards the end of the salad is too spicy.

Description

Thai green bean salad, Tum Tua (ตำถั่ว), is a light, tasty fresh salad that is umami, savory, tangy, salty and sweet, and full of explosive flavors that will make you craving for more.

Ingredients

Scale

1 large cloves of garlic
1-5 fresh Thai chilis, as needed for your spice level
2 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 2.5 inches pieces
2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Thai eggplant cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup shredded carrots. Use The Kiwi peeler to shred or use match stick carrot slices.
1 tablespoon Pla Ra, fermented fish sauce is not the same as fish sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice. Add one slice of squeezed lime rind to release oil and a slightly bitter taste.
2 tablespoon tamarind concentrate
1/4 cup dried shrimp
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce. (I used 3 crab brands)
2-3 tablespoon sugar. Palm, brown, white, agave, or honey work as sweeteners. Add more towards the end of the salad is too spicy.

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Instructions

Pound the chilis and garlic in a clay mortar and wooden pestle to break up the herbs into large pieces but do not make a paste.
Add the green beans next. Pound these until they are well bruised and the pieces break apart but are not completely crushed.
Add the sliced tomatoes, eggplants, and dried shrimp. Pound together again with the pestle until bruised like the green beans.
Add the sauces: fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, tamarind, and Plara. Mix them well with the pestle and use a large spoon to scoop, swirl and toss the ingredients to get them all well blended. Go lighter on the pounding for this part. *Also, don't throw away the squeezed lime rind. Add them to the salad for the extra tart & zesty flavor from the citrus skin. Remove the lime pieces before serving. This typically leaves them on the plate, but they do not eat it.
Add the shredded carrot last. Pound and slightly one last time for 30 seconds or so. Use the spoon to scrape the sides of the mortar to get all the run-away pieces back together. Taste your salad and use fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, or Pla Ra to customize the flavors to your taste buds. That's it! Enjoy!

Serve with sticky rice, vermicelli noodles, jasmine rice, or stand-alone salad. The rice and noodles will help absorb some of the spiciness of the salad.

Notes

Long green beans can be found in the Asian markets. You won't be able to miss them when you see them. (: They will probably be the longest green beans you'll ever see. They are also called long string, snake, or yard-long beans.
Your green beans salad is a raw cold salad using fresh vegetables. Ensure you wash all your vegetables thoroughly with cold water to prevent sicknesses.
If your salad is too salty, add more sugar. If too sour, add more fish sauce and sugar. If too sweet, add fish sauce. Keep playing with the sauces until you’re happy with the flavors.
Once you've mastered a couple of Som Tum recipes, the next time, try mixing and using different fruit and vegetables and play around with them. It will open a world of extra tasty salads to you in ways you never knew existed! (:

** Thank you so much for visiting my blog! This is truly a passion for me. If you have enjoyed these recipes and appreciate the hard work I put into them, I would love it if you would share them with your friends! Your recommendation is the highest review I could hope for, and I’d appreciate it! **

Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 5
Category: salads
Method: mortar and pestle
Cuisine: Thai