Papaya curry can be made in various forms, including vegan versions with tropical fruits or mutton curry marinated in mashed papaya. Raw papaya curries are easy to make and can be served cold. Green papaya is diced and simmered with spices, while multi-fruit versions may include sweet potatoes, ginger, and walnuts. The meat version involves marinating mutton in papaya for tenderness and flavor.
Papaya curry is typically a fruit curry seasoned with traditional Indian spices, although it comes in many different forms. Vegans can enjoy versions of papaya curry that require very little heating and no animal products. Those who like sweet and tangy flavor combinations can add other tropical fruits to the curry to create a papaya and pineapple or papaya and coconut dish. Others refer to a mutton curry as papaya curry because this meat is often marinated in mashed papaya to tenderize it and add flavor.
Raw papaya curries are generally the easiest type to make. They require no heating and can be very refreshing on a hot summer day. Some also like to serve this cold, spicy curry as a last course to a hot, heavy meal. The cold temperature of the dish helps cool the palate and body, while the spicy flavors can aid digestion.
Most papaya curry dishes start with green papaya. These slightly underripe fruits have a tart, slightly sweet and acidic flavor that usually complements curry powder and other spices well. The fruit should be diced and peeled before being added to water to simmer for about eight minutes, or until soft. The papaya is then typically mashed together with seeded chopped chilies, turmeric powder, and red curry. Some cooks also like to add shredded coconut, mustard seeds, and salt.
Another version of vegan papaya curry involves many other tropical fruits, including pineapples, coconuts and bananas. The fruits are often boiled together with coconut milk until soft, then dusted with a little sugar, crushed chilies, and curry powder. Red curry is traditional, but the cook can also use green curry. Its sweetness generally complements the sugars in both fruit and coconut milks.
Sweet potatoes, ginger and walnuts also sometimes appear in a multi-fruit papaya curry, often making it a very filling starter. Cooks occasionally blend all of the aforementioned types of papaya curry into a smooth, creamy, soup-like dish with a hand blender or food processor. The dish is then usually garnished with some shredded coconut, some chillies or curry leaves.
The last type of papaya curry is the only type that contains meat. Sliced mutton is often covered in raw or mashed papaya or papaya paste for flavor and tenderness. The acids in papaya work quickly on the meat, so it usually takes about an hour to marinate. The papaya goes directly into the curry dish, along with the meat, typically giving the whole dish a tart, fruity flavor.
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