Green Papaya Salad - Side dish

Preparation time : 30 min
Cooking time : none
Location : Whole Guinea
Vegetarian : Yes
Difficulty : Easy
With : Fruits
Cost : Inexpensive
Cooking method : Without cooking

In Guinea the papaya is traditionally consumed rather mature than green. The green papaya deserves nevertheless to be known for its taste and its nutritional qualities.

As there is in Guinea a lot papaya and this recipe can easily be done. This salad of is best served as starter or side dish with grill of meat or fish.

Ingredients (For 4 serves)

  • 2 papayes vertes « solo »

  • 2 gousses d’ail

  • 1 à 2 piments oiseaux (selon la variété et si vous aimez fort ou pas)

  • 1 poignée de cacahuètes grillées (ou pignons de pin)

  • 1 c.à.s. de Nuoc mâm

  • 2 c.à.s de sucre

  • 1 pincée de sel

Preparation

  • Cut, prune and peel the papayas.

    Wash it under cold water papayas and dry in a clean cloth..

  • Cut it in fine strips or grate the papaya if very green and firm

  • Crush boorishly peanuts (or pine nuts) with a mortar.

    Remove from the mortar and reserve.

    Peel the garlic, wash the hot pepper and crush the whole in the mortar.

  • Cut in two the lemon and press the juice in the bowl of papaya.

    Add the sugar, the nuoc man, the peanuts, the garlic and the hot pepper crush.

    Stir together all the ingredients and rectify the seasoning if necessary.

    It’s ready to serve. Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

It is essential that the papaya is chosen green; not only the skin, but also the flesh.  Once bought, do not keep it too long, papaya can mature very fast  and then the taste will be  completely different.

To give the salad little more colour and vary the taste, you can add  grated carrot to it.

You can prepare the salad the 1 hour before the meal and keep it in the refrigerator before serving.