Bonus: Green Papaya Stir Fry!

If you have made the popular green papaya salad (som tum), you’ve probably found yourself with the same situation I often have: half a green papaya left over, but no desire to keep making more salads. What to do with the rest of it??

That’s where this simple green papaya stir-fry with eggs comes in. It’s one of my favorite ways to use up leftover green papaya because it’s quick, easy, and requires just a handful of everyday ingredients. Known in Thai as malakor pad kai มะละกอผัดไข่ (literally “papaya stir-fried with eggs”), this is one of those dishes you’ll find in Thai homes but never in restaurants! The eggs add protein, making it substantial enough to serve as a light meal, but also works well as a side dish.

Green papaya is most commonly used to make salads, but it’s actually an incredibly versatile vegetable that works beautifully in cooked dishes as well. It has a mild flavour, a firm texture, and it readily absorbs flavours from whatever it’s cooked in. You can add it to stir fries, soups, curries, or even pickle it! When cooked, its texture is similar to kohlrabi or broccoli stems—firm, slightly crunchy, but can be cooked until it is completely tender. Another popular Thai dish that uses green papaya is gaeng som, which is our sour curry.