The green papaya (raw papaya) was never one of my favourite vegetables. I would always find some excuse to not eat any curry made with the papaya when I was a kid and until a few weeks back, I continued to hold this sincere apathy to this tasteless vegetable. We have a domestic help for over two decades, who tries her hand at new recipes once in a while garnered from food channels on TV. One day she served this dish for lunch and I unwittingly had it and complimented her for the new recipe. Then very reluctantly she told me it was a Green Papaya Subzi dish that I had just eaten. I was amazed and honestly if she had told me earlier, I would not as much as tasted the dish. So, here I am now a big new fan of this wonderful recipe that I am sharing with all of you. The Green Papaya (or raw papaya), as we all know has several nutritional benefits. They are rich in anti Oxidents. They are also good for weight watchers and for heart health. The beauty of this dish is it has minimal ingredients but the taste is just amazing. It just blew me away. This recipe uses a typical Bengali condiment called ‘Radhuni’ which may not be available everywhere. So you can use Jeera or Panch Phoron instead. I have used Mustard oil for cooking for that unique taste but you can use any other vegetable oil. This dish is convenient to cook and takes no more than 20 minutes. So for all those who know about the benefits of the Green Papaya but find it difficult to make a dish which the family loves, here is your secret weapon. Try it and I can promise it will become a staple at home.
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Power Puff Papaya
Ingredients
- 500 gms Green Papaya (Raw Papaya)
- 1 large Potato
- 1/3 Tsp Turmeric powder
- 2+1 Tbsp Oil ( I used Mustard Oil for this)
- 1 dry whole Red Chili
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Radhuni (Wild Celery Seeds)
- 1/2 Tsp Ginger paste
- 1 Tsp Ghee (Clarified Butter)
- 1/2 Tsp Sugar
- 2–4 Green Chillies, slit
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Dice 500 gms green papaya and 1 large potato into large pieces.
- In a pressure cooker put raw papaya in 1 cup water with 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of turmeric powder. Cook over medium flame for 2 whistle. Take off the flame and allow the pressure cooker to cool.
- In the meantime, smear a pinch of salt and turmeric powder over the diced potatoes.
- In a pan, heat 2 tbsp mustard oil. When hot, lightly fry the potatoes until light golden. Take them out and keep them aside.
- In the same pan, add 1-2 tbsp more of the oil. Once hot, add the mustard seeds, radhuni and 1 dry red chilli. Once they start to splutter, add a pinch or two of the turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp ginger paste. Stir for 3- seconds over medium-low heat before adding the papaya and the potatoes along with the water in the pressure cooker.
- Cover and cook over medium flame for 5 mins.
- The papaya and the potatoes should be reasonably cooked by now. Using a spoon, lightly mash only a few of the potatoes and the papaya. This will help in giving the sabzi a light gravy effect. You may also add 1/4 cup water if the gravy starts getting too thick.
- Next add sugar, slit green chillies, cover and cook on sim for 1-2 minutes.
- Lastly add 1 tsp ghee. Stir well. Switch off flame. Wait for a couple of minutes before serving. Goes well with steamed rice, rotis or phulkas.
Notes
If you aren’t able to get hold of Radhuni, you may substitute it with cumin seeds or even panch phoron.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3
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