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With its vibrant orange flesh and juicy taste, ripe papaya is often used as a common ingredient for fruit salads, smoothies and halwa. But in India, its raw version opens whole other world of culinary possibilities. Unlike the other fruits, the unripe papaya has a surprising flavour profile- slightly bitter, slightly tart and with a delightful crunch.
This unique combination makes it an important part of various regional delicacies across the country. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the vitamin A and bioactive compounds present in the green papaya boosts digestion, improves heart health and strengthens immune system. From fiery curries in South India to refreshing salads and healthy snacks in other regions, raw papaya adds a distinctive touch to numerous dishes.
Green Papaya Salad
Green papaya salad is a perfect combination of zingy, spicy, savoury and sweet flavour. This spicy and refreshing dish is made from shredded green papaya, vegetables, and a tangy dressing. The primary ingredients of the dressing are lime juice, sugar, garlic and chilies. For the best result, pound all the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle, which creates a unique depth of texture and flavour. You can also refrigerate the salad before serving.
Raw Papaya Fries
Green papaya fries are a healthy and delicious alternative to regular potato fries. They are made from unripe papaya, which has a neutral flavour that goes well with the seasoning of paprika, red chilli powder, salt and black pepper. It is best served with ketchup or mayonnaise, but you can also enjoy it with any of your favourite dips like sriracha sauce.
Raw Papaya Curry
Each region has their own recipe for this curry, but Andhra-style curry named boppayakaya kura is among the most popular ones. To prepare this side dish, raw papaya is cooked with ground roasted peanuts, curry leaves, grated coconut, mustard seeds and sesame powder. If you want to have an extra touch of spiciness, add garam masala, red chilli and coriander powder along with the other ingredients. It goes well with both rice and roti.
Raw Papaya Halwa
Who said raw papaya can only be used for savoury and spicy dishes? This halwa is a rich and easy dessert that is prepared by slow cooking grated green papaya with sugar and ghee. Its taste and texture are enhanced with dry fruits and nuts like almonds, cashews and raisins. Vibrant green papaya halwa is healthy along with being delicious and can become an innovative addition to festivities.
Raw Papaya Poriyal
This healthy and quick dish is renowned in southern part of India as raw papaya poriyal. Being served as an accompaniment for rice for lunch, it is made with chopped unripe papaya, scraped coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds. This stir-fry dish is tempered with coconut oil, mustard seeds, urad dal and a few sprigs of curry leaves.
Sambharo
This is a tangy and flavourful side dish originating from Gujarati cuisine. Sambharo is made with grated raw papaya, mustard seeds, lemon juice, curry leaves, and a few spices. This crunchy and spicy dish is a great accompaniment to fafda and dhokla. In the summers, grated raw mangoes are also added to the sambharo for extra crunch and flavour.
