📍 Where this dish comes from: Andaman coast (Phang Nga, Krabi) · Emerald bays / limestone karsts
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
Som Tam is one of Thailand’s most consumed dishes, eaten daily by millions. The authentic version uses unripe papaya — technically low-carb but sometimes hard to find. Jicama makes an outstanding keto-friendly alternative: it has the same crisp, neutral flesh that absorbs the pounded garlic-chili-lime dressing perfectly. Made in a clay mortar, it is both a cooking method and a piece of street theatre, the rhythmic pounding audible from stalls away.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
- 300 g jicama peeled and julienned
- 4 bird's eye chilies
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp
- 5 snake beans (or green beans) cut into 3cm pieces
- 4 cherry tomatoes halved
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp erythritol
- Crushed peanuts or almonds to serve
Instructions
- Pound garlic and chilies to a rough paste in a mortar.
- Add dried shrimp and pound lightly.
- Add beans and pound gently to bruise, not crush.
- Add tomatoes, pound gently.
- Season with lime juice, fish sauce, and erythritol.
- Add jicama and toss using the pestle and a spoon.
- Taste — it should be sour, spicy, salty, with a hint of sweetness.
- Serve topped with crushed nuts.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 180kcal | Protein: 10g | Fat: 6g | Fiber: 6g
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Health Benefits
- Jicama is extremely high in prebiotic fibre (inulin), which feeds beneficial gut bacteria.
- Dried shrimp provides concentrated omega-3 fatty acids and calcium.
- Lime juice’s vitamin C helps boost iron absorption from the plant-based ingredients in this dish.