Name: Cucumber Carrot Salad
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove, minced and mashed to a paste; 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice; 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (preferably naam pla); 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 fresh Thai or serrano chili, or to taste, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves); 2 seedless cucumbers, quartered lengthwise, seeded, and cored; 1 carrot, shredded coarse; soft-leafed lettuce for serving

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

From northeastern Thailand, som tai is a salad Thais and farangs-the Thai name for foreigners-have come to love. It is traditionally made with grated green (unripe) papaya that is pounded slightly to soften the fibers before being tossed with lime juice, dried shrimp, and chilies. As the availability of green papaya in the United States is limited, we used cucumber and carrot. We also left out the dried shrimp in order to create a more delicate but still delicious dish.

Recipe notes

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