Saturday, May 09, 2009

Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad (Goi Du Du)

Whew, I'm still completely occupied by the NBA playoffs. But the good news is that I'm back for a quick post! But first, I need to get something critical off my chest...

Although I'll always be a "LakerGal4Life" (that's my screen name when Phoenix or New Orleans aren't playing), I have to say that the Houston Rockets were robbed last night by miserable officiating. Those NBA refs are about as anti-Ron Artest as you can get! Here's my post-game commentary: There's no way that Artest committed a flagrant foul, especially when Vujacic got away with a lot worse earlier in the evening. Thankfully, the Rockets aren't one of "my" teams, otherwise, I would probably be bed-ridden right now.

...But seriously, enough of the irrelevant ranting about corrupt NBA refs, I need to post already! This is called a food blog after all.

For today's post, I'd love to share one of my favorite salad recipes for Vietnamese green papaya salad. I actually don't consider this a "salad" per se, but a cooling, delicate slaw.


Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad (Goi Du Du)
1 large green papaya, with skin peeled away with a vegetable peeler
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded on the large holes of a grater
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 scallion, finely minced
1/4 cup of high-quality fish sauce
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/3 cup of lime juice (or the juice from 2 to 3 limes)
1/4 tsp of lime zest
2 Thai bird chilies, sliced cross-wise (optional)
roasted cashews or peanuts, to garnish
basil or cilantro, to garnish


First, peel the hard green papaya with a vegetable peeler (if you haven't done so already). Then, cut the papaya in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to scrape away all of the seeds from the inside. Now, you can either use a fancy mandolin or a knife to finely julienne the papaya into thin matchstick-sized strips. You want the strips to be as narrow as possible, so that they can absorb the bright salad dressing. However, I would advise against using a shredder here, because shredded papaya makes the salad look a tad sloppy and unrefined.


However, you can shred the carrots with a regular grater because the green papaya is the star of this slaw, while the carrots are almost an afterthought.


Meanwhile, combine the lime juice, lime zest, fish sauce, garlic, scallions, Thai bird chilies, and sugar with a whisk, making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved. Drizzle the finished dressing over the shredded carrots and julienned papaya strips, and stir well to combine. You can serve this immediately, or marinate it in the fridge for an hour to allow the flavors to meld. This slaw keeps in the fridge for up to a week. When you serve it, just strain away the excess dressing.


Finally, serve the slaw with cilantro or basil, and roasted cashews or peanuts as garnish, and enjoy!

44 comments:

  1. I love green papaya salad and Vietnamese food! Yours looks really delicious and refreshing!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. i love this salad recently discovered it now i know how to make it thanks

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  3. When an NBA game doesn't go our way, we insist David Stern fixed the game! Your salad looks amazingly fresh and delicious. This would be great in our hot weather.

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  4. Yum! I love Asian salads as this!
    It is so lovely & colourful & delicious!!

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  5. I have always wanted to make this! I've only eaten it once, and it was not a very good version, so I've been anxious to see if I can do better :)

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  6. I love how your version doesn't include dried shrimp. I always end up picking those out. Yum!!!

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  7. I ALWAYS get Papaya Salad at any Thai or Vietnamese place! I LOVE fish sauce on just about anything! I like how you used cashews cuz the places I go to usually top with peanuts, which I'm not a big fan of. I love it when they add the big cooked prawns though. YUM!

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  8. I order this salad almost everytime I go out to a Vietnamese restaurant. I love its lively flavors and tangles of textures. Thanks for showing us how easy it is to make at home, too.

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  9. Thanks! I've been wanting to make a papaya salad for a while but had no idea what a green papaya looks like or what to do with it if I found one.

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  10. PE mmm that looks beautiful. I never really thought about how unrefined shredded veggies look versus julienned on the mandoline, but right you are!

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  11. Hey PE - Looks great....I like when it's topped with some nice dried beef.

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  12. I love green papaya salad! Your recipe makes me want to go out and order one! (Sorry, but I just can't julienne that thin without a special device, and I don't have it. I've always wanted to find that special slicer at Asian stores made specifically for shredding green papaya. Maybe if I found that.)

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    1. All you need to do is lightly and continuosly chop at the papaya with a sharp knife ,then use a potato peeler.Voila! Instant julienne.

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  13. YUMMM!!!
    if in need i guess i can sub green papaya for green mango.

    neki desu

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  14. I only had green papaya once, but not at home. This is what I love about trying new cuisines, learnng about new ingredients.

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  15. What about the Boston Celtics!?? This looks refreshing and tasty, although I've never actually tried green papaya before.

    By the way, thank you for your kind words of support, I really do appreciate it!

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  16. this is one of my favorites! you're right it is like a 'slaw' never thought of it that way. You make it look simple but so tempting to make. thanks for sharing this because i think this dish needs more PR!

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  17. The salad looks delicious. My father usually makes Green Papaya salad with pickle fish or salted crabs and vietnamese coriander.

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  18. That salad looks good! I have been looking for green papayas to try a salad like this.

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  19. THANK YOU for this recipe and for the helpful step-by-step photos. I heart this dish. Where is the best place to buy green papayas? Ranch 99?

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  20. That salad looks good! I have been wanting to try making a green papaya salad but I have been unable to find the green pineapples.

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  21. fantastic rendition! we love adding some thin strips of Vietnamese style beef jerky to this dish.

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  22. Thanks for sharing this recipe! I don't think that in Australia we have Green Papaya though.. we have the orange one :(

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  23. Yummy! This would work best with Chicken Piccata
    Breast with Lemon, Butter and Capers in White Wine Sauce. Wow!

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  24. Great recipe! Just made it for lunch. Thanks for posting it.

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  25. I agree with Ravenous Couple.
    The Vietnamese always eat Green Papaya Salad with thin hand-sliced beef jerky. However, in Vietnam it seems like only students still enjoying this kind of snack. Too bad!

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  26. Thai people have a very similar recipe. Somtum is also a great <a href="http://www.somtum.info> green papaya salad recipe</a>

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  27. Lovely flavors! I live on Maui with many many green papayas in my yard so this will become a regular in my repertoire. I was too lazy to go the market, so I substituted Lemon juice for lime and it was still delicious. Thank you!

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  28. Green Papaya Salad with thin hand-sliced beef jerky is a northern Vietnamese dish. It is enjoyed with Five Spice Soy Sauce.

    Green Papaya Salad with prawn is a southern Vietnamese dish. It is enjoyed with prepared fish sauce.

    If green papaya is not available, try spaghetti squash.

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  29. PE MMMMm that looks beautiful. I never really thought about how unrefined shredded veggies look versus julienned on the mandoline, but right you are!

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  30. I order this salad almost everytime I go out to a Vietnamese restaurant. I love its lively flavors and tangles of textures. Thanks for showing us how easy it is to make at home, too.

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  31. Great Entry. It's blogs like yours that make my day. I'm a big fan of papaya salad!

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  32. French Fries never looked so good.!!

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  33. I just ventured onto your blog and your food pictures make my mouth water. I can't wait to read more.!

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  34. That salad looks good! I have been wanting to try making a green papaya salad but I have been unable to find the green pineapples.

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  35. Great recipe! Just made it for lunch. Thanks for posting it.

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  36. I have always wanted to make this! I've only eaten it once, and it was not a very good version, so I've been anxious to see if I can do better :)

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  37. i have so many papaya around my village and never knew u can make such a wonderful dish with it like salad. usually use it as meat tenderizer and fruit punch when ripe.

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  38. Papayas are my favorite fruit. Love it in Papaya salad. MMmmm Mmmm

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  39. This is the exact same recipe as Thai Som Tam except in Thailand, they add green beans, cucumber and tomato too...I make it often and I crave it even more. YUMMM! When fresh green papaya is not available, I use just shredded carrots in place, and it is still sooooooo delicious!

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  40. This Vietnamese version is an adaptation of the famous green papaya salad that originated in Laos. Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia and Thailand also eat green papaya salad, since they also share borders with Laos. All three countries share borders with Laos where the journey of this wonderful salad began.

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  41. Tks so much. I finally got the
    recipe for this dish; I saw it in the
    Vietnamise's movie; The Scene
    of Green Papaya.

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  42. Tks so much. I finally got the
    recipe for this dish; I saw it in the
    Vietnamise's movie; The Scene
    of Green Papaya.

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