INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

There is a joke to the effect that the dish called som tam is hot,  but
tam som is hotter, and tam lao the hottest of all. (These being  the
name of the dish in Bangkok and the Isan respectively, and a  variant
common to rural people in the Isan).  Be that as it may, this is the
version common in the countryside of  the Isan. Virtually everything
about the variants of som tam is  'optional', except for the papaya. I
would also point out that in the  Isan the mud fish and the crab are
typically raw, which leads to  common warnings from the Thai government
about hepatitis (from the  crab), and intestinal parasites (from the
mudfish). In line with this  the following preparation is designed to
avoid that problem.  The number of chillies to include in the dish is
the first order of  business when ordering the meal - foreigners being
well advised to say  'none' since the mortar and pestle aren't washed
out between  preparations and there is generally enough chilli juice
left in the  bottom for foreign tastes. Locals may sometimes order up
to 30  chillies in a single portion, which renders the tam lao blood
red,  and has an affect in the mouth similar to fire! If making it at
home  I would suggest you start by trying 2 or 3 chillies ...  When not
actually preparing the dish, vendors advertise their  services by
sitting julienning the papaya: they hold it in one hand  whilst
'whacking' it with a cleaver in the other, pausing  occasionally to
shave off a layer of julienned fruit. This technique  is even more
remarkable when you see them carrying on a conversation  with a
neighbouring stall holder and not looking at the papaya as the  razor
sharp cleaver reduces it to a nubbin in their hand! I suggest  that in
the interests of safety you do not try to emulate this  technique:
slice off a thin piece of papaya, then cut it into  matchstick sized
pieces in a more normal fashion! The papaya should  be crispy and firm
in texture.  The crabs used in Thailand are small river crabs, about an
inch  across the body. If these are not available you can use any form
of  crabmeat.  Plara is available (packed in mud) in small jars from
Asian grocers.  Method: Stir fry the crab, and then break it up and
sprinkle  liberally with vinegar, and season with freshly cracked black
pepper.  Allow to stand for about 1 hour before using.  Next julienne
the papaya, and place it in a mortar and pestle.  Boil the mudfish in a
quarter cup of water for 2-3 minutes, then  transfer to a muslin bag
and squeeze out as much juice as possible.  (You may also include the
fish, but this is not recommended, see  warning above).  Finally
quarter the tomatoes and the eggplant, and put all the  ingredients in
a mortar and pestle and pound to soften and bring out  the juices.
Serving: Serve with a selection of fresh raw vegetables. Serves 1
Posted to CHILE-HEADS DIGEST V3 #193  From: "Col. I.F.
Khuntilanont-Philpott"  <colonel@korat1.vu-korat.ac.th>  Date: Sat, 21
Dec 1996 13:45:50 +0700

A Message from our Provider:

“God is unfeeling? Ha! Alongside him we’re as cold as stones”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 348
Calories From Fat: 33
Total Fat: 4.1g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 776.8mg
Potassium: 2121.8mg
Carbohydrates: 75.4g
Fiber: 16.2g
Sugar: 35.9g
Protein: 14.4g