Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

Peel the green papaya and carrot, wash them, and shred into thin strips 5-6 cm long (using a Korean carrot grater or a sharp knife).

Cut the long beans into pieces 2-3 cm long, and halve the cherry tomatoes.

In a mortar, pound the garlic and chili with a pestle for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant, without turning them into a paste.

Add the palm sugar and fish sauce, and pound until the sugar dissolves, then pour in the lime juice and mix — this is the base of the dressing.

Add the long beans to the mortar and lightly bruise them a few times with the pestle so they release their juices while staying crisp.

Add the shredded papaya, carrot, and cherry tomato halves. Using the pestle in one hand and a spoon in the other, gently press and toss the ingredients for 1-2 minutes so they soak up the dressing, taking care not to mash the papaya.

Add the peanuts, gently toss once more with the spoon, and serve immediately with lime wedges.