On a recent visit to Hawkers on the Beltline in Atlanta, I enjoyed a papaya salad with grilled shrimp that exploded with fresh flavors. As temperatures in Atlanta continue to rise this summer, that dish is calling me. It was cold and crunchy and memorable. Can you guide me to get this specific recipe?
— Deborah Moses, Decatur
Allen Lo, co-founder and brand chef for Hawkers Asian Street Food, shared the recipe along with this note about why it’s a favorite. “This classic Thai salad is one of my favorites because it’s extremely balanced and bold at the same time. In each bite you experience both heat and sweet, crunchy and smooth, fresh and perfectly ripe. It’s a dance of flavors that you don’t usually get in a salad, which makes it extremely fun to eat.”
Hawkers Asian Street Food’s Green Papaya Salad with Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Fried shallots are widely used in Asian cooking to add crunch to a dish. They can be purchased at stores carrying Asian groceries as can green, or unripe, papayas which also add crispness. If you cannot find a green papaya, substitute an equal amount of unripe mango, and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
Hawkers Asian Street Food’s Green Papaya Salad with Grilled Shrimp Skewers
8 bamboo skewers
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
Vegetable oil, for brushing on shrimp and grill grates
Salt
Pepper
Cayenne
Paprika
Ground cumin
Vietnamese Vinaigrette Thai Chili Vinaigrette (see recipe)
3 1/2 cups green papaya, cut into matchsticks
1 cup red onion, cut into matchsticks
1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
1/3 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
1 1/4 cups cherry tomatoes
8 large leaves red-tipped lettuce
1 1/4 cups seedless cucumbers, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup 1/4-inch diced ripe mango
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, lightly crushed
1/4 cup fried shallots
Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes.
After the skewers have soaked, heat grill to 350 degrees. Arrange shrimp on a baking sheet and lightly brush on all sides with vegetable oil, then sprinkle with pinches of salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and cumin. Arrange two shrimp on each skewer leaving room between the shrimp so they will cook evenly.
While grill is heating, pour vinaigrette into a large bowl. Add green papaya, red onion, carrots, cilantro and Thai basil and roughly toss to lightly bruise the fruit, vegetables and herbs. Stir in tomatoes and toss again.
Divide lettuce between four serving plates. Use tongs to divide the dressed green papaya salad between the plates. Divide the vinaigrette remaining in the bowl between the plates. Divide cucumbers between plates, placing alongside the papaya salad. Top salad with mango. Sprinkle crushed peanuts and fried shallots over the salad and cucumbers.
When grill is hot, lightly oil grill grate. Arrange skewers on grill. Cover grill and cook 2 minutes, then open grill, turn skewers and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes or until shrimp is pink throughout. Remove skewers from grill and put two skewers on each plate. Dust shrimp again with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika and cumin. Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Per serving: 404 calories (percent of calories from fat, 37), 22 grams protein, 45 grams carbohydrates, 25 grams total sugars, 8 grams fiber, 17 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 143 milligrams cholesterol, 2,223 milligrams sodium.
Note: For nutritional calculations, a “pinch” is defined as 1/16 teaspoon.
Vietnamese Vinaigrette Thai Chili Vinaigrette
Coco Rico is a coconut-flavored Puerto Rican soda available at stores that carry Hispanic groceries. If you want your vinaigrette to match the one served at Hawkers, use Squid brand fish sauce and Huy Fong sambal oelek, available at stores selling Asian groceries.
2 Thai bird’s eye chiles, stems removed, seeds removed if desired, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Coco Rico
1/4 cup fish sauce
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
In a bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine chiles and garlic and process until it makes a paste, about 1 minute. Add Coco Rico, fish sauce, sugar, water, lime juice and sambal oelek and process until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. May be used immediately or made ahead and refrigerated in a covered container for up to 1 week.
Makes 3/4 cup.
Per tablespoon: 10 calories (percent of calories from fat, 2), trace protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams total sugars, trace fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 478 milligrams sodium.
From the menu of ... Hawkers Asian Street Food, 661 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta; 470-809-1586, eathawkers.com/locations/beltline.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on Twitter and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
