Buah paya masak titek
(peppery papaya soup)
Serves 4
350 gram prawns, peeled, leaving tails on, devein and rinse. Keep shells and heads for making stock
80 gram dry salted fish bones, rinse twice (from markets or Chinese shops)
900 ml water
¼ cup dried shrimp, rinse and dry-fry till fragrant (from Chinese shops)
1 red chilli
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
80 gram onions, peel, wash and chop roughly
800 gram half-ripe papaya (skin should be green with a hint of yellow), peel, rinse, quarter lengthwise, discard seeds, trim inner surface, and cut crosswise 1½ cm thick
½ teaspoon brown sugar, to taste
1. Bring prawn shells and heads, salted fish bones and water to a boil. Simmer gently, covered, for 5 minutes.
2. Make spice paste while stock is simmering by blending or pounding dried prawns, chillies, peppercorns and onions finely.
3. Remove and discard prawn shells and heads from stock with a slotted spoon. Add the spice paste. Continue gentle simmering for 10 minutes. Add chunky papaya pieces and bring back to a boil. Simmer until almost tender, 3-4 minutes depending on how ripe papaya is. Do not overcook or papaya will turn mushy. Turn off heat. Let soup sit 10 minutes, covered, to develop flavours.
4. Reheat soup until gently simmering. Taste and season with sugar to taste, about ½ tsp. Add peeled prawns and heat until just pink and opaque. Do not overcook.
5. Serve with fresh lime.
Thai green papaya salad
Serves 2
5 cherry tomatoes
2 long red chillies
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 clove garlic
6 green beans, quickly blanched
2 cups shredded green papaya
1 lime
1 1/2 tablespoons white or palm sugar
2 tablespoons toasted peanuts
1. Leave the green papaya whole and begin peeling it with a vegetable peeler. When you get closer to the centre, you will see the white immature seeds inside. Stop and move onto another part of the papaya. Discard any seeds that got into your bowl. Shred or finely slice the papaya ribbons lengthways. If you have a julienne peeler this will be faster.
2. In a mortar and pestle (or a bowl with wooden pestle), smash a clove of garlic first. Then add green beans and halved cherry tomatoes. Pound a few times just to bruise the beans and get the juice out of the tomatoes.
3. Add chilli and crush them just enough to release their heat, unless you like your salad really hot.
4. Add the shredded green papaya, dried shrimp, toasted peanuts, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar. Use the pestle to push the mixture up in the mortar and the spatula to push it down so that the mixture is mixed well. If you do not have a big enough mortar you can crush garlic, tomatoes, green beans. Set them aside in a large bowl. Add dried shrimp, fish sauce, lime juice and palm sugar to the bowl. Add green papaya and mix well.
5. Serve with any grilled meats/seafood, or enjoy on its own.
Blackened fish with papaya mojo
Serves 4
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1kg whole fish, cleaned and scaled
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
Papaya mojo
1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 papaya, cut into cubes
1 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bunch coriander, leaves roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes, plus extra lime halves to serve
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place the oregano, paprika, garlic and olive oil in a bowl and season. Rub the marinade on both sides of the fish.
3. Place the oil in a roasting pan over high heat on the stove. Warm for 1-2 minutes until the oil is smoking, then add the fish, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the skin has blackened on one side only. Transfer the whole tray to the oven, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until just cooked.
4. Meanwhile, for the papaya mojo, place all the ingredients in a bowl and season, then toss to combine. Set aside.
5. Place the fish onto a platter and top with papaya mojo. Serve with extra coriander leaves and lime halves.
Mahi mahi with
papaya coconut curry
This is one of Chef Seeto’s favourite ways to enjoy fish and pawpaw, and has featured in his Fiji Airways and TV show menus.
4 mahi mahi fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium ripe papayas, quartered with seeds in
Papaya coconut curry
2 very ripe papayas, cubed
1/2 cup mirin rice wine
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
1/2 cup fresh coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Mahi mahi
1. Season mahi mahi fillets with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high. Add fillets and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes on each side until cooked through.
3. Serve with papaya coconut curry sauce and a quarter pawpaw with seeds
Papaya coconut curry
1. Place papaya cubes, mirin rice wine, white wine, ginger and tumeric in heavy medium-size saucepan.
2. Boil until reduced to 1/4 cup.
3. Add coconut milk, bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and simmer sauce until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in curry paste.
6. Season the sauce to taste with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
7. Reserve papaya cubes for garnish and strain remaining sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
8. Set aside.
Thai Pork with
papaya, cilantro and rice
Serves 4
4 large pork cutlets (or any cut of meat)
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
Juice of 2 limes
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves and white stem
1 large ripe papaya, peeled, halved, seeds removed and reserved, flesh cut into cubes
Steamed rice
1. Heat a fry pan over medium heat with the olive oil then add the soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Stir it around then add the pork right into the mix. Turn over once half cooked.
2. Remove the pork from the pan and cover it with foil to allow it to rest while you finish the sauce.
3. In the fry pan that the pork was cooked in, add the lime juice and honey and only at the end add the fresh coriander (reserving a few sprinkles to garnish the dish at the end).
4. To serve, place 1 cup of steamed rice on each plate, then top with the pork, 1/2 cup papaya, and few tablespoons of the pan sauce. Garnish with papaya seeds and a sprinkle of the reserved fresh cilantro.
Fijian green papaya slaw
3 cups grated unripened papaya, (1 medium green papaya)
¾ cup carrot, grated
¼ cup sultanas
1 inch thumb ginger, peeled and minced
1 small clove garlic, minced fine
1 small chilli, minced fine
1 heaping tablespoon coriander, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt to taste
2 1/2 cup light coconut milk
1. Using an unripe green papaya, cut in half-discarding the seeds, peel the outer skin, and grate on the round hole side of a cheese grater. Place in cool water with a heavy pinch of salt and let it sit for 30 minutes. Squeeze very well to drain as much water as possible.
2. Pound garlic, chili and ginger with a mortar and pestle or mince very finely. Combine all the ingredients except for salt as it will draw water out.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes salting just before serving.
4. Coconut milk becomes solid when refrigerated so if you are serving after storing it in the refrigerator for a long period of time make sure you remove it at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve cool or at room temperature.
Green papaya relish
1.5 kg green papaya, peeled, seeded, chopped coarsely
2 medium brown onions (300g), chopped coarsely
4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
2 cm piece fresh ginger (10g), grated
3 fresh long red chillies, sliced thinly
1 cup (150g) sultanas
4 medium ripe tomatoes (600g), peeled, chopped coarsely
2 cups (500ml) white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice (pimento)
1 1/2 cups (330g) brown sugar
1. Combine papaya, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, sultanas, tomato, vinegar, salt and spice in large saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat — simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally about 30 minutes or until fruit is tender.
2. Add sugar, stir over high heat without boiling until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour or until relish is thick.
3. Spoon hot relish into jars and refrigerate until you need
4. Serve on everything!
Papaya with coriander and lime
1 half ripened papaya
A small bunch of coriander, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
1 red chilli, chopped finely
Pinch of white sugar
1. Peel the semi ripe papaya then either shred with a vegetable peeler or finely slice into ribbons.
2. In a bowl, mix coriander, lime juice, chilli and sugar until sugar dissolves.
3. Add the papaya ribbons.
4. Refrigerate if not using at once. Best served the day it is made.
Green papaya relish
1.5 kg green papaya, peeled, seeded, chopped coarsely
2 medium brown onions (300g), chopped coarsely
4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 cm piece fresh ginger (10g), grated
3 fresh long red chillies, sliced thinly
1 cup (150g) sultanas
4 medium ripe tomatoes (600g), peeled, chopped coarsely
2 cups (500ml) white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice (pimento)
1 1/2 cups (330g) brown sugar
1. Combine papaya, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, sultanas, tomato, vinegar, salt and spice in large saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until fruit is tender.
2. Add sugar; stir over high heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour or until relish is thick.
3. Spoon hot relish into jars and refrigerate until you need.
4. Serve on everything!
