Thai food : Som Tum (Papaya Salad)

This particular dish is from the northeastern part of Thailand (E-san). Combined with barbecue chicken, and sticky rice, it makes a perfect meal!


Ingredients:
1 fresh green papaya
5 Thai chilies (prik kee noo)
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/2 cup green beans cut into one inch lengths
2 teaspoons of fish sauce
1 quart cup of tamarind juice

Preparation:
Peel the skin off of the papaya, then use a cheese grater to shred the papaya. The seeds are not used! After you have finished, sprinkle some salt onto the shredded papaya, and let stand for 30 minutes


Directions:
Now you will need a mortar and pestle. (You can use a regular mixing bowl, but you just don't get the right effect.) Combine all of the ingredients except for the tomato into the mortar bowl and mix thoroughly. Then add the tomato and briefly mix (do not pulverize the tomato into liquid- you want it to be kinda' "bruised")