Spicy, funky, and sweet, this side dish plays on the vibrant flavors of Thai papaya salad with the unexpected addition of tamarind. This recipe is from chef Yia Vang of Union Hmong Kitchen in Minneapolis.
Ingredients
4 servings
½
1
1
2
¼
2
2
6
1
Ingredient Info:
Preparation
Step 1
Thinly slice cilantro stems until you have about 2 Tbsp. and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop remaining cilantro; set aside for serving.
Step 2
Add shallot, garlic, chiles, tamarind concentrate, lime juice, and fish sauce to bowl with cilantro stems and mix well. Add cucumbers and tomatoes, season with salt, and toss until everything is nicely dressed.
Step 3
Transfer salad to a platter and top with reserved chopped cilantro, then fried shallots and peanuts.
Leave a Review
Reviews (14)
Back to TopOther reviewer‘s seem to agree, and I have tinkered with this down to 1 tablespoon of tamarind, concentrate and some palm or brown sugar. The recipe has published, has no suite as is noted in the title. Made as is, this is nearly inedible. I think someone forgot to list the suite in the ingredients and instructions.
A cook from Buffalo
Buffalo, NY
3/27/2023
Agree with the other reviewers. Way too much tamarind in the recipe, which made it nearly inedible.
Ben B.
Seattle, WA
11/12/2021
Tasty with some heat. Based on other reviews, I cut back the tamarind to 2 Tbsp. I agree that the description mentioned sweet as part of the flavor profile and sweet is lacking. Next time I’ll add some coconut or brown sugar. I only had lemon on hand, which worked fine. And I used a Kirby from my garden, which I seeded. I’ll use two cucs next time. Went nicely with our Thai leftovers from last night’s dinner.
LIMama
Long Island
8/8/2021
It's a loooot of tamarind. We ended up putting some agave to add sweetness and some avocado to mellow it out. The mix of components are a good idea but the proportions seem way off.
Anonymous
Brooklyn, N Y
5/3/2021
Where does the sweet come in? I"m not seeing any ingredients that would offer a sweet taste? I followed the recipe and found the sauce overly bitter, so I'd love to sweeten it up.
Anonymous
Minnesota
8/22/2020
Honestly, this is the best salad in the world. It is simple and so flavourful. I make this once a week and crave it even more frequently. I couldn't find tamarind and did extra lime juice + brown sugar. I dream about this salad.
Highlightergirl
Toronto
7/25/2020
This is so good wow. Didn’t have fried shallots the second time I made this and still so good. Subbed serranos for Thai Chile’s. Will be in my summer salad rotation for sure
Anonymous
San Francisco
6/19/2020
Can this be made ahead of time? Or will it get mushy? Made it right before serving and it was the perfect blend of flavor!
Anonymous
Chicago
5/25/2020
This is the most delicious salad I've ever made in my life. Perfect for a hot LA day. Like I said before, don't skip the crispy fried shallots or peanuts. I can't edit my last review but I meant to leave 5 stars not 4. 15/10 would make again.
lifeis_short
Los Angeles, CA
4/22/2020
Note the crispy fried shallot and crushed peanut toppings are not included in the ingredients list, they are only mentioned at the very end. If you can't find any crispy fried shallots at the store, BA has a separate recipe for crispy fried shallots from Molly Baz. Make sure to get some peanuts to crush up too. The toppings really make it a great salad with different dimensions. The wording of this recipe needs to be updated to include the crispy fried shallots and peanuts in the ingredients list.
lifeis_short
Los Angeles, CA
4/22/2020