Another method is to peel the skin and use a sharp chef’s knife or cleaver. Holding the papaya with a strong grip, slap the knife down into the flesh, making lots of cuts close together. Turn the blade so that it’s against the papaya flesh and make thin slices through the deep cuts and you should have the right sized shreds, about 2 packed cups worth.

Add the shredded green papaya to a bowl of ice water and let it sit for 15 minutes. This will make the shredded papaya nice and crunchy. After the ice bath, drain the papaya thoroughly and set on some paper towels to soak up any extra water.

While the papaya soaks in the ice water, add 2-3 tablespoons of roasted peanuts to the mortar. Using the pestle, smash and crush the peanuts into chunks. You don’t want to reduce them to powder, just pound them into pieces and then remove them and set aside.

Chop 2 cloves of garlic and 1-3 Thai red chilis into small pieces and then add to the mortar. Pound and grind them into a paste. Finely chop 1 ½ tablespoons of palm sugar and add that to the paste, grinding it into the juices made from the rest until combined.

Break 2-3 long beans into 2-3” segments and add directly into the mortar. For the dried shrimp, you can add 1 tablespoon of tiny ones directly as well or chop larger ones into smaller pieces (I like to shred them in a spice grinder) and add them also. Use the pestle to bruise and lightly smash open the beans. Add half of the reserved peanuts.

Cut the lime into large wedges and squeeze in the lime juice, tossing the squeezed lime in as well. Add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 2 teaspoons of tamarind concentrate if using and stir into the rest of the ingredients with a spoon.

Finally, add the drained green papaya and 6-8 halved cherry tomatoes and stir everything together. Alternatively pound everything gently with the pestle and stir with a spoon. Lightly bruise and smash the tomatoes to release their juices.

Remove from the mortar and serve the salad in a bowl or plate, topping with the rest of the reserved peanuts.

If you don’t have a clay mortar, you can make this by hand. Using a knife, coarsely chop the roasted peanuts and set aside, then finely mince the garlic and Thai red chilis and set into a small bowl.

Thinly slice the palm sugar and then finely chop it into a powder. Add the sugar to a mixing bowl and add the lime juice, fish sauce, and tamarind paste. Mix until the sugar is dissolved and then add the garlic, chilis, and half the crushed peanuts and mix again.

Using the flat of your knife, gently smash the long beans so that they’re bruised and split, then chop into 2-3” segments and add that to the mixing bowl as well.

Finally, add the shredded papaya and sliced tomatoes to the mixing bowl and stir together with a wooden spoon. Gently press into the papaya and tomatoes with the spoon to bruise them as well and mix and press a few times.

Portion the salad into bowls or plates and top with the remaining peanuts.