That bright orange fruit lying in your fruit basket or the green fruit lying in your refrigerator's fruit basket are one and the same. The marvellous papaya. Papaya is a fruit that is so underrated that it somehow or the other always gets ignored by everyone.
However, it is a fruit that can be utilised in various ways and in both of its forms i.e raw and ripe both. Well if you also ignored papayas it like most of us, then it's time for you to try these yummy, refreshing and nutritious dishes and include this underappreciated fruit into your meals.
1. Raw Papaya Salad
Green papaya salad or Som Tam is one of refreshing and tasty dishes that has an intricate mix of flavors. It is commonly made using a mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, chili, sugar and a variety of substances such as tomatoes, peanuts and aromatic herbs. It is a crisp and zesty salad with a fine balance of sweetness, sourness and spiciness.
2. Papaya Granita
The exotic and refreshing papaya Granita tantalises tastes by its tropic side. This refreshing Italian style ice is made with ripe papayas offering just the right amount of sweetness and tartness. The light orange color coupled with its refreshingly cool texture makes this as a perfect summer delicacy. Just mix papaya, sugar, and lime juice, freeze, and scrape to get them into icy crystals. Every spoon of papaya granita becomes an escape to a sunny paradise.
3. Papaya Punch
The tropical delight papaya punch is well renowned for its sugary delicious taste and brightly colored inner pulp. This odd fruit has an attractive mixture of tropical flavor for its taste bud tempting combination of sweet with bites of lemon. One can consume this fruit either fresh or as smoothies for refreshment.
4. Papaya Coconut Smoothie
The tropical delight papaya punch is well renowned for its sugary delicious taste and brightly colored inner pulp. This odd fruit has an attractive mixture of tropical flavor for its taste bud tempting combination of sweet with bites of lemon. Papaya punch is a juice drink that has lots of vitamins, antioxidants, and digestive enzymes which make it very healthy as well as tasty. One can consume this fruit either fresh or as smoothies for refreshment.
5. Raw Papaya curry
Papayas are used as an ingredient in numerous tropical dishes, including a lovely raw papaya curry. When preparing this tasty curry, papaya is normally cubed or sliced and cooked slowly using spicy mixture, coconut and others. It is popularly sweet-sour-hot appetiser which goes well with rice or pita bread. Raw papayas curry is indeed scrumptious and nutritious, yet another proof of what more this modest tropical fruit can do with our meals.
6. Filipino Atchara
Atchara, also called Atcharang Papaya, is a salad made of grated unripe papayas, carrots, and bell peppers,this is a part of the traditional Filipino side dishes. They are preserved in a salty sweet and sour marinade containing garlic and ginger. Atchar is an excellent blend of tastes which is savory as well as a great source of pleasure – it’s crispy and fits perfectly to the adobo or barbecue Filipino cuisine. It brings more spice to food and highlights the strong love of the Philippine cuisines’ for intense and flavourful tastes.
Video Credit: Vietnam ShihYi
7. Papaya Chia pudding
This papaya chia pudding is a yummy and delicious dessert which is made by mixing ripe papaya with coconut milk, some honey and little amount of vanilla. Thereafter, add chia seeds and refrigerate the mixture until it becomes thick next morning. Its consequence being a deliciously smooth pudding that is also full of Omega-3 fatty acids, fiber as well as a host of other necessary vitamins. One can use it as perfect breakfast or snacks since it is fulfilling and nutritious.
8. Satay Papaya Noodle
Satay Papaya Noodle is a delicious fusion dish that combines the rich flavors of satay sauce with the refreshing crunch of papaya noodles. This dish typically features tender strips of chicken, beef, or tofu marinated in a savory satay sauce, served over a bed of papaya noodles made from thinly shredded ripe papaya. The sweetness of the papaya complements the savory and slightly spicy satay sauce, creating a delightful balance of flavors and textures. Topped with peanuts, herbs, and a squeeze of lime, Satay Papaya Noodle offers a mouthwatering culinary experience that's both exotic and satisfying.