This dressing contains the basic flavors of som tam, or Thai green papaya salad. It’s a feisty, high-impact mixture, but surprisingly, it works with a variety of foods—fruits such as mango and pineapple (and green papaya, of course), vegetables such as grilled eggplant and shredded cabbage, and proteins such as shrimp and tofu. We use a combination of light brown sugar and granulated sugar—brown sugar echoes the caramel-y notes of palm sugar that’s used in traditional Thai papaya salad, and the granulated sugar prevents the dressing from becoming too dark in color. If you like, you can use all brown or all granulated sugar. No oil is used here.
MAKES ABOUT 1/2 CUP [120 ML]
1 small garlic clove, germ removed (see page 13)
1 or 2 Thai chiles, seeded
Pinch of kosher salt
1/4 cup [60 ml] fresh lime juice
31/2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
11/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Using a chef’s knife, chop the garlic and push it to one side of the cutting board. Chop the chile(s), and then add the garlic. Sprinkle the mixture with the salt and continue to chop, occasionally mashing the mixture with the flat of the knife blade, until very finely minced and almost puréed.
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and garlic-chile mixture and stir until the sugars dissolve. Let stand to allow the flavors to meld, about 15 minutes. Stir to recombine before using.