Green Papaya and chili peppers side dish: Papaya Marcha Nu Shak

Whenever I go to Mumbai...first morning when I wake up there, I love to have the hot breakfast from the "Indian fast food" places. This is where they serve hot breakfast like Jalebi, Papdi Gathia, Lakadia Gathia and Dhokla.. and on the side they serve this dish which is made of sweet, spicy and savory blend of papaya, hot chili peppers and probably with their leftover dhoklas....

I love this dish so much that other day when I saw green papaya in the Indian store, I had this sudden urge to replicate the dish... but Alas!!I did not have any leftover Dhoklas, but Aha... I did have soaked chana dal from the coconut chutney I made other day. I did try to make it very close to the taste that I remember from my brief visits to India....so here is it...... You can grab some ready made pack of Gathias from the local Indian store and enjoy this side dish with it.


Ingredients:


1 small green papaya peeled and sliced. (about 2lbs)

1 cup of seeded, sliced, Green chilies (mix of any variety: Jalapenos, Serrano, Anaheim, green peppers)

1/4 cup soaked channa dal (for about 4-6 hours)

1/2 cup of gram flour

1/3 cup oil

2 teaspoon black mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon asfetida

10 fresh curry leaves

Salt to taste

1 heaped teaspoon of Turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

2-3 tables spoon of sugar (to taste)

1/3 cup of water

1/2 cup of lime or lemon juice





Method:


* Peel and slice papaya in to thin slices as shown in picture.
(The papaya that I bought was starting to ripe, otherwise is plain white in color with no pink in it).

* Seed and slice the peppers lengthwise.

* Grind soaked chana dal to fine paste, set aside.

* Roast the gram flour on med to low heat for 5 min.

* Heat oil in a pan.

* Add mustard seeds, when these crackle add asefetida and curry leaves.

* Add papaya and chili pepper and salt.

* Saute on medium high heat for 5- 7 min till papaya is slightly tender but not very soft.

* Add chana dal paste and gram flour.

* Add 1/3 cup of water.

* Cook for 5 min with constant stirring.

* Add turmeric powder, cayenne pepper, sugar.

* Cook until the papaya pieces separate from the dough like mixture.

* Add lime juice and mix well.

* Serve as a side dish with Indian snacks like papdi or lakadia Gathia, and Dhokla etc.





Recipe and photographs by Surekha.