The wholesome tangy, crunchy, sweet, and spicy Thai Raw Mango Salad or Som Tam Mamuang is perfect for the summers, and is similar to Thai raw papaya salad, which is the original traditional Thai salad. But since it's mango season, Thai raw mango salad is recommended. The variously textured salad brings together the crunch of the mango and the spiciness of the chilli. It's a refreshing alternative to the regular salads as it is more flavourful.
The origins of Som Tam
Thai Raw Mango Salad is often served as a side dish along with a main course of noodle soups and curries or it can be eaten as a snack. The ingredients in the salad can, however, be tweaked as per your taste. Vegetarians can choose other sauces, such as soy sauce, instead of fish sauce.
Som Tam or Thai Papaya Salad is the traditional salad known across Thailand. It is said to have originated in Laos. The recipe of Som Tam varies from region to region in Thailand. It is often served with Thai sticky rice.
Below is an easy recipe of Thai Raw Mango Salad, suited for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians
Preparation time-15 minutes
Cook time-15 minutes
Total time- 30 minutes
Cuisine-Thai
Course-Snack, salad
Diet-Non-Vegetarian
Difficulty level-Moderate
Servings-2
Ingredients
• 1 green raw mango
• 1 tomato or 2 small tomatoes
• Chopped coriander leaves
• 1 teaspoon peanuts
• 1 green chilli
• Mint leaves
• Thai basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 lime’s juice squeezed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
Method
• Take a peeler and peel the mango, then shred it into thin slices
• Peel the garlic clove, then grind the garlic pieces and green chilli with salt
• To the garlic and green chilli paste, add lime juice, sugar, and fish sauce or soy sauce if you are vegetarian, and grind till fully mixed and made into a dressing
• Then take the mango slices in a bowl. Chop up the tomato/tomatoes into small pieces, crush it and put it on top of the mango slices
• Add peanuts, coriander, mint and basil leaves to the salad
• Pour the dressing onto the salad, garnish with crushed peanuts and serve
About the ingredients
Green raw mango: Quite obviously, this is the most important ingredient. Raw mango is used as a substitute to green papaya but the essence remains more or less the same. The mango should be completely unripe, but if you have a taste preference then it can also be made with ripe mango but it must not be too ripe otherwise the flavour won't be as good.
Salad dressing: The dressing made with garlic and green chilli paste, lime juice and fish sauce gives the salad an extra special taste
Thai Raw Mango Salad is quite healthy too. Apart from being low in calories, the salad is rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin B 6, Vitamin B12, zinc and calcium. To up the taste and health quotient, add sprouts to it.
