This delicious, crunchy, fresh-tasting green pawpaw chutney is the perfect accompaniment for grilled fish or a chicken curry or eaten as a vegetarian dish with plain boiled rice.
Pawpaw Chutney
Take a walk anywhere on any island in the Seychelles and you will see pawpaw or papaya trees growing everywhere around the homes and wild in the hills. There are many types of pawpaw that are grown on the islands. The pawpaw tree is a small, sparsely branched tree, usually with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 m tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The Seychellois uses the pawpaw as fruit when they’re fully ripe, and as a vegetable, when they’re still green and crunchy.
Green Pawpaw
The green pawpaw chutney dish is made from the green pawpaw which is just unripe pawpaw, and looks like a green football. The firm, pale green flesh is more or less tasteless but tastes great when combined with onion, lemon, chilli and spices. It is worth noting that, unlike the preserved Indian chutney, the Seychellois chutney is made fresh, usually from green fruits, and consumed the same day.
Selection and Preparation
Green pawpaw is sold in all markets in Seychelles and if you are overseas you can get them in most Asian markets and shops. Select a firm one, with no blotchy areas, or soft spots – signs of old age or poor storage.
Cut Green Pawpaw
To prepare the green pawpaw you must peel it before using it. I just use a vegetable peeler. I place the pawpaw sideways on a board and cut off the stem. I then stand the green pawpaw on its cut end and go at it with the vegetable peeler. A word of advice here! The green pawpaw produces latex that can irritate the skin. If you have a delicate skin, I strongly suggest that you wear gloves. The latex contains papain which is an enzyme that is used to tenderise tough cuts of meat.
Once peeled, halve the pawpaw lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out and discard the white seeds. The white seeds eventually turn black during the ripening process.
Cut each half lengthwise into quarters, and then use a knife or a spoon to remove the thin white layer lining the cavity. If the wedges are too wide to handle, cut them in half again.
Coarse and Finely Grated Pawpaw
The next step is to carefully grate one wedge at a time using a box grater. You now have a choice. You can use the fine part of the grater or the coarse side. I prefer the fine side, but both sides are as good.
Once all the pawpaw is grated the next step is to extract as much moisture from the grated pawpaw before tossing it in hot oil. This is because the moisture in the pawpaw may reduce its crunchiness when cooked. To remove the moisture you add some salt to the grated pawpaw and pour in some warm water and marcerate it , let rest for 5 minutes. The salt water, through the process of osmosis, will pull some of the moisture from the pawpaw.
You then place a handful of the grated pawpaw , in a muslin cloth, or any cloth, and wring hard to extract the maximum amount of moisture. The process is as follows; position a mound of the grated pawpaw in the center of the cloth, roll it up in the cloth, and then twist the ends in opposite directions to force out the liquid. Undo the cloth, remove the grated paw paw which will look like a small ball, break the ball and and fluff up the pawpaw. The pawpaw is then ready for the next step.
Completing the Dish
Mix the sliced onion and half of the lemon juice into the pawpaw and season with some salt and cracked pepper.
Heat oil in a wok and toss the pawpaw for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining lemon juice and chilli. Do not add chilli too early as fried chilli can create breathing problems.
Here is the recipe for Green Pawpaw Chutney –Satini Papay
This green pawpaw chutney is a delicious, crunchy, fresh-tasting chutney that is the perfect accompaniment for grilled fish or a chicken curry or eaten as a vegetarian dish with plain boiled rice.
- 2 medium size green pawpaw
- 1 large onion small and sliced
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 fresh chillies crushed -optional
- 500 ml warm water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
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Peel the green pawpaw under running water. A potato peeler is ideal. Please note that the latex from the pawpaw can cause itchy skin. If you have delicate skin, please use a pair of gloves.
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Cut peeled pawpaw length-wise into four equal wedges and remove all seeds.
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Finely grate the peeled pawpaw.
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Salt the water and soak the grated pawpaw.
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Macerate the pawpaw in the water for about five minutes and let rest
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Remove the pawpaw from the water and place a handful at a time in a muslin cloth. Wring hard to remove as much moisture from the pawpaw as possible. This is important as if there is too much moisture left in the pawpaw the resulting chutney will be gooey!! You want your chutney to be fluffy.
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Fluff up the grated pawpaw and mix in the chopped onion and half of the lemon juice and season with some salt and pepper.
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Heat oil in a wok and toss the pawpaw for about 5 minutes. Add remaining lemon juice and chilli. Do not add chilli too early as fried chilli can create breathing problems.
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Serve hot
- You can add male pawpaw flowers to the green pawpaw to give it a slight bitter taste.
- Why not add one grated carrot into the grated paw paw. It adds some colour and gives the finished chutney that extra crunch. You can even use some grated half ripe pawpaw instead of the carrot.
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
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