Golden Papaya Chip Chutney
KACHA PAPITA CHATNI
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
I was introduced to this dish at a lavish Bengali feast in the suburban
Calcutta estate of Mr. Tarun Kunti Ghosh, the publisher of Amrita
Patrika Bazaar, Calcutta’s largest newspaper. The memorable prasadam
repast contained some of the finest Bengali cuisine I have ever tasted,
made with great care in a newly constructed kitchen equipped with
freshly made clay stoves, by a fleet of Brahman cooks decked out in new
clothes, and using mountains of fresh produce, grains and milk
products, the end result of this kitchen army included 108 exquisite
preparations served to the 100-plus guests dining village style: seated
on an open veranda behind newly picked throw-away banana leaf plates
and clay cups. Before I stopped counting, more than forty servers had
brought in relay after relay of indescribably delicious prasadam –and
this chutney, made from unripened papaya, caught my attention at the
first bite. Inquiring after the recipe in the kitchen, I was laughingly
told in halting Pidgin English that I was eating Tarun Baba’s famous
“Plastic chutney”: when shavings of green fruit are simmered in
acidulated syrup, they become transparent and to the Bengali cooks,
resembled chips of plastic.
Unripened, green papaya has very hard, white flesh and is frequently
used in Bengali and oriyan chutneys, dals and vegetables. It is
available at Indian, Chinese and Latin greengrocers. Because most
supermarket papaya is picked quite green, to ripen in transit and in
the stores, half-ripe fruit is more than acceptable. The thin papaya
slices rest in a glistening golden sauce. Try it as a relish with a
formal full-course meal or as a jam.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes: 1 ½ cups (360 ml)
2 pounds (1 kg) unripe green papaya (about 2 ½ cups/600 ml of thinly sliced fruit)
1 ¼ cups (265 g) sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) strained lime juice
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) salt
1 hot green or dried red chili (or as desired)
1.
Quarter the papaya lengthwise, peel with a paring knife, and
scoop out the center seeds and fibers. Cut each quarter in half
lengthwise, then slice the papaya wedges crosswise into thin wafers.
2.
Combine the sugar and water in a 2-quart/liter saucepan. Place
over moderately low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved; then
add the papaya, raise the heat slightly, and gently boil until the
fruit is soft.
3. Remove the papaya slices with a
slotted spoon and set aside. Continue to boil the sugar-water mixture
for about 20 minutes or until it is reduced to a one-thread
consistency. When it is thick, add the papaya, lemon juice, salt and
whole chili. Cook until the papaya is translucent and the texture
jam-like.