Normally if the papaya is not perfectly ripened, it may end up tasting bland. In my recipe, this is not the case because the papayas are tossed with various spices and fresh herbs. My refreshing spicy shrimp papaya salad is one that tastes awesome with unripened papayas.

Ingredients:

2 cups grated green unripened papaya (use a papaya shredder)

1 cup grated green apple

6 – 8 shrimps, medium size, peeled and deveined

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon roasted salted peanuts (for garnishing)

2 fresh green chilies, cut diagonally

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sweet and chilies sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon roasted combination of spice powder (1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon raw coriander, and 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes; combine and roast on low flame, then grind into a powdered form)

1 tablespoon crunchy golden fry onion

½ cup long green beans, snap each bean into bite sized pieces

½ cup cilantro, finely chopped

½ cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Lettuce for serving (optional)

1 teaspoon olive oil

Sea salt as needed

Method:

Preparing salad dressing:

In a large bowl, add combination of spice powder, garlic, lime juice, honey, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, and sea salt. Whisk together to make the salad dressing. Set aside.

Preparing the shrimps:

In a pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp until pink and curled (about 2 minutes). Set aside.

Assembling the salad:

In a large bowl put green papaya, apple, green beans, cilantro, green chili, cherry tomatoes, golden fried onions, and the prepared salad dressing. Mix well, allowing all the flavors to be infused. Serve papaya salad with lettuce, shrimps, cherry tomatoes, and roasted salted peanuts