A guest from Europe was quite fascinated by the papaya tree in my garden. Not just because it was a tropical tree, but also because the fruit when available was rather expensive in his part of the world. That set me thinking about how we are blessed with papaya trees that grow so easily. Most of the papaya trees at my home aren’t even planted, but just an outcome of nature’s seed dispersal system.
I was not very fond of papaya as a fruit. But not any more and it is one of my favourites. The ripe red papaya with a squeeze of lemon is just delicious for breakfast. Lately, I have also been enjoying the unripe papaya.
I know what you must be thinking; green papaya salad . Yes,I cannot deny that the classic som tum is a delicious salad, but I am talking of a green papaya poriyal that is just as easy to make as a cabbage poriyal and tastes even better. In fact, folks who can’t tolerate the full bodied aroma of ripe papaya often find it immensely palatable in its green form.
The texture of the green papaya allows a myriad possibilities. It can be eaten raw, steamed, lightly stir fried or blanched.
A friend got me this really cool hand held shredder that shreds thin strips off vegetables that are firm. Thanks to that I’ve begun experimenting more with the green papaya. It’s easy to get thin,translucent noodle like strands when using the fine peeler. Not only does it look appetizing but also adds to the final taste of the dish. Even slicing thin shavings with a regular vegetable peeler works as well.
The milky liquid when you cut into the unripe papaya needs to be washed off thoroughly before the flesh can be consumed. It’s also at this stage when the seeds are still pale globules that the enzymatic and anti-oxidant properties are at the optimum. As the sugars develop when the fruit ripens ,the enzymes decrease gradually.
All that I have cooked with the green papaya have turned out well. The trick is in keeping the flavours simple and fresh. Cucumber, green mango, lime, ripe red chillies, lemon, onions, mint, coriander, coconut, peanuts, micro greens, sprouts, soy sauce, green beans, sugar and fish sauce marry beautifully with the green papaya. Once grated it does let out a fair bit of water, so the best way to avoid that is to steam it or blanch it for a few minutes in boiling salted water.
Due to it’s inherent digestive properties, green papaya paste has been used for centuries as a meat tenderizer. That paste can also be incorporated to add a boost of nutrition to say cutlets, dips or sauces. We really should look more closely at what grows around us. Including native foods into our culinary experiments is truly the way forward. The green papaya is available throughout the year. Why don’t we take advantage of that?
