I tried your
Thai Green Papaya Salad glowhappy, it was very refreshing.
I had most of the ingredients at home, I just needed the green papaya and some Thai basil. I make a batch of Tamarind paste from a compressed block of tamarind, simmered with some water to soften it up, then pushed through a sieve. I use what I need and freeze small amounts for other recipes.
I'm only cooking for 2 and a large papaya looks like it would feed a family of 10. My Asian grocer had some pre-shredded, mixed with carrot, so I bought that instead. The grocer recommended a Japanese mandolin if I wanted to shred my own.
I halved your recipe. I started with one cup of simple syrup. 1/4 cup quantities became 2 tbsp...etc. The Vietnamese sweet & sour sauce turned out great. It was a bit sweet at first, so I adjusted the taste by adding more lime juice plus more chili paste.
The shredded papaya can take quite a beating with the mortar and pestle. Very little juice was released but it absorbed the sweat and sour dressing and gave it some taste.
I didn't add any shrimp or jerky this time. Maybe next time.
Thanks for the recipe, it is easier to make than some others I've seen for green papaya salad.