PAPAYA Fever

I am intrigued to the goodness of papaya..papaw..pawpaw..Let me dedicate this page to my current favourite fruit which when raw can also be used as a vegetable. Papaya is inexpensive, readily available, good for health and YUMMY!!!!



Lahori Papita

Somewhere I had come across a lamb preparation in Lahori style. Later I decided to incorporate the same with green papaya and little modicifactions of my own and wow, least expected, it turned out awesome.

Ingredients: 500g green papaya skinned and cubed, 2 juicy tomatoes cut into halves, 3-4 chopped green chillies, 1tbspn turmeric powder, 1 tbspn red chilli powder, 2 onions sliced, 1/2 cup chana daal, 2 bay leaves, 2-3 cloves, 2-3 peppercorns, 1tbspn coriander powder, 2 medium cinnamon sticks, 1 big spoon of crushed garlic, salt, oil, coriander leaves for garnishing, ghee, 1/2 tbspn cumin seeds, sugar, crushed home made garam masla(cinnamon/cloves and cardamom)

Method:

• Pressure cook the papaya and daal separately till they become soft. The trick is to get a bite like consistency for the papaya and not to mash them. The daal should have a thicker consistency without being running watery.
• Heat oil in a pan
• Add the bayleaves, peppercorns, cloves and onion. Saute till the onion becomes translucent
• Now add the crushed garlic, turmeric-chilli-coriander powder and the cinnamon sticks and the tomatoes. Fry on a medium heat for 2 minutes
• Add the papaya till the papayas are well coated and the tomatoes become soft
• Now add the cooked daal(without water), salt and sugar and cover and cook till oil separates at the bottom. You may add little water at this point if the gravy turns too thick.
• In a tempering kadhai, add ghee.
• Put the cumin seeds. once the Cumin starts to splutter, add the green chillies along with the garam masala. pour immediately over the papaya gravy, switch off the gas and cover.
• Before serving garnish with coriander leaves

Green Papaya Chutney

Ingredients: 500 gms green papaya(skinned and cut into very thin slices), 1/2 cup jaggery, 3-4 drops of lemon juice, 1/2 tbspn fenugreek seeds, 1/2 tbspn fennel seeds, raisins, 1 pinch salt, 1tbspn refined oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadhai
• Once the oil becomes hot, throw in the fenugreek seeds and allow them to splutter
• Once done, discard the fenugreek seeds with the help of a spoon. The idea is to retain the aroma without biting into the bitter fenugreek seeds
• Now add the fennel seeds and then add the papaya slices
• Saute for 1/2 a minute and then add the jaggery and salt. You can adjust the quantity of jaggery depending on your sweet tooth. Also sugar can be used as a substitute for jaggery. Cover and cook till papaya slices soften. Add little water to derive the desired consistency.
• With the help of a ladle mash the papaya slices and add the raisins and lemon juice.
• Cover and cook further for another 1/2 a minute and your chutney will be ready
• Allow the chutney to cool down and then serve

Thai Green Papaya Salad

This salad is one of my favourites and the natives call it Som Tam. It's healthy, spicy, tangy, refreshing and very easy to make.

Ingredients: 500gms shredded green papaya, 2 fresh chopped red chillies, 2-3 tbspn of fish sauce, 1tbspn sugar, salt, 1/2 chopped onion, 3-4 chopped garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, 1tbspn lime jiuce, salt, 2 spn roughly crushed roasted peanuts

Method:

• Marinate the papaya with little salt and sugar and keep aside
• Roughly crush the onion, garlic and chillies. Please dont do it in a mixer-grinder. And keep adding the shredded papaya little at a time
• You will see the papaya turn soft
• Transfer the contents in to a salad bowl and fold in the cherry tomatoes
• Mix all the seasonings i.e. salt, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Mix well
• Garnish with roasted peanuts and some chopped fresh red chillies

PAPAYA MILK SHAKE

Here is a one specially for the little ones. My daughter absolutely hates eating papayas but when presented well as a shake, she loves it. Kids and their tantrums!!!

Ingredients: 1/2 fully ripe papaya(skinned and cut into cubes), 400ml milk, Honey as per taste

Method:

• Blend all the ingredients together in a blender.
• You can top it with anything of your choice like ice-cream, fruit wedges, cherries etc.