Make a Peppery Salad Dressing
Don't throw away those little black seeds! Papaya seeds are not only edible, but they have a surprisingly spicy, peppery flavour reminiscent of nasturtiums or watercress. You can use them as a unique substitute for black pepper. To make a vibrant dressing,
simply blend a tablespoon or two of fresh papaya seeds with vinegar (rice vinegar works well), a neutral oil, a touch of honey or agave for sweetness, and half a small onion until smooth. The seeds will break down into little black flecks, creating a vinaigrette that's both visually striking and delicious on a simple green salad or even drizzled over grilled fish.
Try a Spicy Green Papaya Salad
Unripe green papaya has a crisp texture and mild taste, making it the perfect base for a crunchy, flavour-packed salad. The most famous version is the Thai classic, Som Tum. This dish is a beautiful balance of spicy, sour, sweet, and salty flavours. To make it, you'll need to shred the green papaya into thin matchsticks using a julienne peeler or mandolin. The dressing is typically made by pounding garlic and chillies into a paste, then mixing in lime juice, fish sauce, and a little palm sugar. Toss the shredded papaya with the dressing, along with ingredients like cherry tomatoes, green beans, and roasted peanuts for a refreshing and addictive dish.
Cook a Savoury Papaya Curry
In many parts of India, raw or semi-ripe papaya is treated as a vegetable and cooked into comforting curries. When cooked, green papaya softens and absorbs flavours beautifully, much like a squash or potato. A simple North Indian-style curry can be made in a pressure cooker by sautéing onions, ginger, and garlic with spices like fennel seeds, turmeric, and coriander powder. Then, add the cubed raw papaya and water, and cook until tender. There are many regional variations, including Kerala-style curries that use a ground coconut paste and tamarind for a tangy finish. These dishes showcase a completely different, heartier side of the fruit.
Grill It for a Smoky Dessert
Grilling brings out papaya’s natural sweetness and adds a lovely, smoky char. It’s a simple yet elegant way to prepare a dessert. Cut a ripe papaya in half, scoop out the seeds, and brush the flesh with a glaze made from honey, lime or lemon juice, and a bit of grated ginger. Place the papaya halves cut-side down on a medium-hot grill for a few minutes, until you see grill marks. Flip them over and grill for another few minutes until the fruit is tender and bubbling. Serve warm, perhaps with a scoop of vanilla or coconut ice cream for a truly decadent treat.
Use It as a Natural Meat Tenderizer
Here's a bit of kitchen science for you. Green papaya contains a powerful enzyme called papain, which is incredibly effective at breaking down the tough collagen in meat. This is why papain is a common ingredient in commercial meat tenderizers. You can harness this power at home by making a paste from raw papaya. Simply peel and blend unripe papaya into a puree. Rub about two tablespoons of the paste per pound of meat and let it marinate for 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the toughness of the cut. The result is exceptionally tender and juicy meat, without altering its flavour.
