Kachche papita ki tarkari (Raw papaya curry with poppy seed)

• Servings: 4-5
• Preparation time: 15 minutes.
• Frying time: 7-8 minutes.
• Cooking time: 6-8 minutes.
• Total time: 31 minutes.

It was hot sultry evening, a fresh breeze coming from the sea make it ideal climate. I was strolling in my lawn at Anuvijay Township very near to Kanyakumari.

There is a papaya plant in my garden; the plant is easily grown without much care. Papaya is known as super food.

There is no vegetable in my refrigerator, so I decided to prepare “Kachche papita ki tarkari (Raw papaya curry with poppy seed)”. Raw papaya has a mild taste and firm texture, making it perfect for absorbing spices and seasonings.

Raw papaya sabji is a simple yet nourishing Indian dish made from green, unripe papaya; straight from my own kitchen garden. Growing this versatile fruit at home brings a sense of joy and pride, especially when it transforms into a flavourful sabji that’s both healthy and comforting.

Papaya is packed with enzymes and fiber, raw papaya is known for its digestive benefits and low calorie count; making it a smart choice for daily meals. Whether paired with Roti or Dal–Rice.

Ingredients:

• Raw papaya: medium size (~ 400 gm)
• Salt: 1 teaspoon (as per taste)
• Coriander powder: ½ teaspoon
• Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
• Chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
• Mustard oil/cooking oil: 2 tablespoon
• Mustard seed: ½ teaspoon

For wet paste:

• Madras onion: 10-12 no.
• Garlic: 3-4 flakes
• Poppy seed: 1 tablespoon
• Sesame seed: half teaspoon

Preparation:

1. Peel off onion and garlic, Keep aside.
2. Dry grind poppy seed, sesame and  pinch of salt together, and then add garlic and onion into it. Grind the wet masala till fine paste. Keep aside.
3. Peel off papaya, discard the seeds and chop into small cubes.

Method:

1. Take a pressure cooker: put oil, when oil starts to smoke, add mustard seeds, and sputter for few seconds.
2. Add chopped papaya stir fry for couple of minutes, add wet masala, salt, coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder (keep it stirring otherwise it may burn).
3. Stir fry for couple of minutes or till liquid dries up; add a cup of water.
4. Close the cooker; cook on high flame, bring to full cooking pressure, reduce to low flame and cook for 1 minute. Allow cooker be cool and open.
5. Serve hot with “Plain Poori“, “Palak Poori“, “Different types of Chapati“, “Missie Roti”, “Chapati”,Bread etc.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Kachche papita ki tarkari (Raw papaya curry with poppy seed) by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.