Recipes

Spicy Mixed Fruit Salad

Som Tum Pon La Mai

Mixed firm fruit tossed in a spicy lime, fish sauce, and dried shrimp dressing

Prep

10 min

Serves

4

Heat

hot

Som Tum is often associated exclusively with green papaya, but the format is really a technique — a sharp, chili-laced dressing tossed with something crisp and not-quite-ripe — and this version proves it works just as well with a mix of firm fruit. Guava, green apple, rose apple, pineapple, grapes, and cherry tomato all bring their own textures and sweetness levels, unified by a dressing pounded together from dried shrimp, chili, lime, fish sauce, and coconut sugar. The dried shrimp isn't fishy in the finished dressing; it mostly reads as a savory backbone that balances the fruit's natural sugars.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup Guava (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2/3 cup Granny Smith green apple (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2/3 cup Rose apple (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2/3 cup Pineapple (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 2/3 cup Cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 2/3 cup Seedless grapes (left whole)
• 8 Thai hot chilies (to taste)
• 4 tablespoons Fresh lime juice
• 2 3/4 tablespoons Fish sauce
• 2 3/4 tablespoons Coconut sugar
• 2 3/4 tablespoons Dried shrimp

Directions

1. Choose fruit that's still firm rather than fully ripe for the best texture. Cut into bite-sized pieces, leaving grapes whole and halving the cherry tomatoes.
2. Squeeze the lime juice.
3. Pound the dried shrimp with a mortar and pestle until flaky and broken up.
4. Add the chili to the shrimp and continue grinding together until the chili is well broken up — finer grinding makes for a spicier dressing.
5. Add the coconut sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Mash and stir with the pestle until smooth and creamy, and the sugar is fully dissolved.
6. Toss the fruit together, then stir in the dressing until everything is evenly coated.
7. Arrange on a plate so the different fruits are evenly distributed. Garnish with lime wedges and a sprig of mint.

Notes

Use fruit that's slightly underripe and firm rather than soft and fully ripe — firmer fruit holds its shape and crunch against the acidic dressing instead of turning mushy.

Substitutions

Any combination of firm, slightly underripe fruit works here — dragon fruit, strawberries, or sweet corn can all be swapped in for whatever isn't available.