Raw Papaya Manchurian

A spicy Indo chinese dish that I had to give a try when raw papayas were in plenty at home - got around 3 to 4 big papayas from my mom's place.

Ingredients:

For the Koftas:

Raw Papaya (medium sized) - 1/2
Onion - 1/2
Ginger Chilli Paste - 1 tsp
Powdered Salt - 1 tsp
Maida - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
Oil - To deep fry

For the Manchurian Sauce:

Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Corn Flour - 1½ tbsp
Soya Sauce - 1½ tbsp
Worcestershire Sauce - 1½ tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Tomatoes (medium sized) - 3 (make paste)
Coriander Leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
Oil - For frying

Grind Together:

Ginger - 1 inch piece
Garlic - 4 flakes
Red Chillies - 7
Onion - 1 

Method:

1.  Soak red chillies for 10 minutes in warm water and grind with roughly chopped onion, ginger, and garlic to a smooth paste.  Set aside.

2.   Wash, cut, peel, and grate the papaya using a large-eyed grater.

3.  Mix finely chopped onions, ginger chilli paste, salt, rice flour, and maida to the grated papaya.

4.  Make small lemon sized balls and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.  Drain excess oil and keep aside.

5.  To make the manchurian sauce, heat oil in a kadai or a shallow frying pan.

6.  Add 2 tsp of sugar in the oil and allow to caramelize.

7.  When it turns golden, add the chopped onions and fry in high flame for few minutes.

8.  Add the ground red chilli paste and stir well.

9.  Pour the tomato paste and allow to cook for few minutes.

10.  Add salt, pepper powder, the sauces, and corn flour diluted in 1½ to 2 cups of water.

11.  Stir well till it becomes like a thick sauce.

12.  Add the deep fried papaya balls and cook for a minute.  Then, transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rotis or fried rice.

Notes:

Vegetable Marrow (Suraikai or Lauki) can be used in this recipe instead of raw papaya.

Aji-no-moto can be added both in the kofta balls and also the manchurian sauce.  I did not use.

Replace chopped spring onion tops to garnish instead of chopped coriander leaves.

(Recipe adapted from Mrs. Mallika Badrinath's Delicious Vegetarian Curries Marrow Manchurian.)

Adjust salt and spices according to your family's taste.  We like the hot and spicy way.

Other raw papaya recipes that you can give a try 

Homemade Tutti Fruiti

Raw Papaya Caramel Muffins

Happy Cooking!!

Schezwan Aloo Soya

Ingredients

Baby Potatoes - 10
Mini Soya Chunks - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 (chopped)
Capsicum (chopped) - 1/4 cup
Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 2 pods (finely chopped)
Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 12
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Corn Flour - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp (optional)


Procedure

Wash and cook baby potatoes.  Peel skin once cooled.  Keep aside.  If baby potatoes are not available, use the regular potatoes and cut into pieces after boiling.

Wash the soya chunks and soak in hot water for 10-15 minutes.  Then, squeeze out the water from the soya chunks and keep aside.

Soak red chillies in hot water for 10-15 minutes and then grind to smooth paste adding enough water.

Heat oil in a pan and add grated ginger, finely chopped garlic, and chopped onions and saute till golden.

Add the ground chilli paste, tomato sauce, soya sauce, salt, and sugar.  Mix well.

Add the boiled and peeled baby potatoes and squeezed soya chunks.  Mix together well.

Add about 1/4 cup of water to infuse the sauce into the potatoes.  Allow to boil.

Mix corn flour and 2 tbsp of water and add to the gravy.  Allow to thicken to desired consistency.  I allowed to thicken it up well that it appeared as a dry fry.

Add chopped capsicum and saute for 2 minutes.  Allow the capsicum to retain its crunchiness.  Do not cook until soft.

Squeeze lemon and mix.  This step is optional.

Serve hot with fried rice or as a starter.

Notes:

The original recipe used just baby potatoes.  You can use baby potatoes, regular potatoes boiled and cut into cubes, combination of both, and/or soya chunks.  It
all depends on the availability of vegetables with you.

Adjust spiciness according to your taste.

Red Onion Chutney

Adapted From

Mrs. Mallika Badrinath (Tiffin Varieties)

Ingredients:

Onions - 2 (big)

Red Chillies - 12

Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp

Rock Salt - 3/4 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp (for tampering)

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Chop onions into bigger pieces (say 1 inch square pieces).

Soak red chillies in water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Squeeze out the chillies alone and grind them along with salt and sugar.

Add onions and tamarind extract and grind coarsely.

Heat oil and tamper the mustard seeds in it and pour on top of the chutney.

This chutney goes well with any tiffin variety, viz., idli, dosa, kozhukattais, paniyarams, adai, etc.  Store this in an airtight container in the fridge for a longer shelf life.

Capsicum Palsuvai Pachadi

Source:

Aval Vikatan


Ingredients:

Capsicum - 1/2 kg

Green Chillies - 50 gm

Tamarind - 50 gm

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Urad Dal - 2 tsp

Bengal Gram Dal (Kadala Paruppu) - 4 tsp

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Jaggery - 250 gm (grated)

Gingelly Oil - 100 mL

Salt - As needed


Method:

1.  Slice capsicum thinly.  Chop green chillies finely.

2.  Adding enough water, make pulp of tamarind.

3.  In a kadai, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds and the dals.  Add asafoetida powder.

4.  Add finely chopped green chillies and fry for a minute or so.

5.  Add in finely sliced capsicum and fry again.

6.  Mix in salt and give a quick stir.

7.  Now, add the pulp and allow to boil.

8.  After it has boiled for about 15 to 20 minutes, add in the grated jaggery and mix well.

9.  When all the ingredients boil and combine together to form a thick paste, switch off the flame.

10.  Serve hot or store in an airtight container.

This pachadi has all the tastes in it together - the tanginess (pulippu), the sourness (karam), the sweetness (inippu) making it yummy side dish for rotis, upma, puris, dosa, curd rice, sambar rice, etc.  This can be stored for a fairly long time in the refrigerator.

Ladies Finger Masala/Bhindi Masala

Source:

Mallika Badrinath Vegetarian Gravies


Ingredients:

Ladies Finger - 1/4 kg

Onions - 2 large

Tomato - 1

Fresh Thick Curds - 1 cup

Green Chillies - 2

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - As required

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1/4 tsp

Cashewnuts - 5

Poppy Seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - To fry


Method:

Cut ladies finger into 1 inch length pieces. Deep fry in hot oil till light brown. (Do not over fry since it may become crisp.)

Dice onions and tomatoes into 1 inch pieces. Slit green chillies vertically.

Dry roast cashew nuts and poppy separately.

Fry onions till transparent in little oil.

Grind these onions with roasted ingredients to smooth paste.

Heat oil in frying pan, tamper aniseeds or cumin seeds with little fenugreek seeds.

Add slit chillies and ground paste.

Stir constantly in medium flame till golden brown colour.

Add sugar, salt, chilli powder, dhania/coriander powder, jeera powder and continue frying till oil separates. 

To this, mix strained and whipped curds and continue frying till oil floats on top.

Add cut tomatoes and ladies finger.  Allow it to boil for a few minutes.

Remove from fire and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot, garnished with fresh cream on top while serving if desired.

This rich and delicious gravy is a great accompaniment for rotis, phulkas, jeera rice, fried rice, etc.

This gravy is an all-time favorite of our family.  I always save at least 7 to 8 ladies fingers to do this whenever we buy it.