A Popular fruit a favorite of most of us on the cart usually during our shopping, complete and wholesome, gives us a feeling of fullness & also helps in various activities of the body on day to day basis. Most of us like it just ripe and naturally sweet finds its way from a morning breakfast counter to a dessert platter as well, from the peel to the seeds to the pulp it’s a useful commodity overall with its composition being wow!

Known for growing abundantly around us all year around and reaching us in the raw form usually and as it ripens its aroma and texture get inviting and for me, it has always been worth the wait watching it get ready in my home kitchen and once it is, then it plates out to be a wonderful delight be it in the form of a juice of a smoothie concept or a simple fruit salad, or salsa the feel is so just amazing biting into it!

Health Benefits of Papaya:

• A good source of vitamin C and vitamin A.

• Beneficial for diabetics, great for the eyes.

• Powerful immunity booster

• Helps in weight loss management and is low in calories.

• Full of anti-oxidants and offers a good value into our body

• Protects against skin damage.

• Contains soluble and insoluble fiber for well being of our digestive tract.

Is often considered suitable before, during & after pregnancy thanks to high vitamin C and folate (Folic Acid) content, essential nutrients that help promote baby’s growth and development;

Papaya is low in energy and fat, making them a great choice for weight loss diets! It provides nearly three times as much fiber as 1/2 a cup of brown rice per serving.

Some tips on purchasing papaya:

To choose ripe papaya or papaw, lightly press underneath the stem and it will give to the pressure.

Papaya and papaw are fragile – a few dark spots or blemishes on the skin are normal and the fruit will still be of great quality, some of us even wrap it in paper and place in a cool dry place to mature up soon!

Ripen papaya and papaw in the fruit bowl and then store in the fridge and enjoy within two days. To get the best taste, remove it from the fridge and let it sit for around 5 minutes before enjoying it!

To speed up the ripening process, you can also place it in a paper bag with a banana as well, try this tip too!

Papaya is packed with flavor and highly versatile, pairing well with coconut, passion fruit, seafood, salads, curries, chicken, lime, lemon, mango, pineapple, ginger, kiwi, banana & berries.

Papaya and its Culinary Uses:

A great ingredient to use for making salsa for Mexican dishes goes well into a blender for a healthy shake or a smoothie its puree freshly made can be easily used to make a nice dressing for salads raw grated papaya, however, has been known to be a great meat tenderizer. Add papaya cubes to a bowl of fruit salad and it just elevates the taste, aroma & flavor to level next.

Raw papaya has also been found used in Thai salads like Som Tom salad. Papaya when almost ripe has also been steeped in a nice mild gravy as well. The skin, seeds, pulp, flesh overall have also been considered to be good for skin and facial treatment as well.

For a peppery substitute, don’t toss the papaya seeds, grind them and use in place of pepper and add a dash of them into your marinades or stir-fries.

Poach papaya and cranberries in a syrup of lime juice, cinnamon, star anise, sugar & water for a citrusy dessert, top it with some freshly whipped caramel cream.

Whip up a spicy papaya/papaw salsa by combining it with red onion, coriander, lime juice & red chilli, perfect for a nice cool day!

Here are a couple of easy recipes for all our viewers to try and relish as well!

P – A – W   Salad

An interesting combination of papaya, apple & walnuts being dressed in an easy and light nutty dressing]

Ingredients:

For the body of the salad:

• Ripe papaya- 2 cups, peeled and cut into medium cubes.

• Apple- 1 no, green or red, cut into medium cubes

• Walnuts- 8 to 10 nos. sliced.

For the base of the salad:

• Iceberg or any varieties of lettuce leaves- 1 cup

For the dressing of the salad:

• Olive oil- 1 tbsp.

• Honey- 1 tbsp.

• Ginger juice- 1 tsp

• Honey-  2 tsp

• Mint leaves- 8 to 10 nos.

• Roasted crushed cumin - ½ tsp

• Rock salt- 1 pinch

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish of the salad

• Fresh herbs- 2 tsp

• Microgreens- ¼ cup

• Chia seeds-1/2 tsp

Method:

1. prepare all the ingredients for the salad.

2. in a mixing bowl, combine together the dressing ingredients, mix well.

3. add in the ingredients for the body as well and toss well.

4. assemble the lettuce leaves on a salad plate

5. place the salad in a small portion size

6. garnish appropriately and serve immediately.

Chef’s variations:

Try the same salad with pumpkin and mango combination, try adding some grapes

The dressing can be made with using fresh orange juice as well with papaya.

Try using variety of nuts and seeds for enhancing the nutrition of the salad.

Boiled chicken cubes with ripe papaya cubes can also be a good option.

Pa-Pa-Ya - Yogurt Punch

[ a refreshing power-packed beverage to start your day with and feel revitalized and active]

Ingredients

• Ripe papaya- 2 cups, peeled and cut into cubes

• Carrot- 1 no, peeled and grated/cubed

• Curd / yogurt- 1 cup, plain not sweet

• Honey- 2 tbsp.

• Soy milk/ milk- 1 and half cup

• Coconut milk- ½ cup 

• Mint leaves- 5 to 6 for garnish

• Cinnamon powder- 1 pinch for garnish.

Method:

1. prepare all the ingredients for the shake and keep them ready.

2. in a blender jar combine together all the ingredients cover and blend well to a smooth texture

3. pour the drink into a tall chilled glass and garnish and serve immediately.

Chef’s variations:

Try the same concept using papaya and mango pulp or juice with some chia seeds.

Combining together pear and papaya also would be great with some mint and sunflower seeds to top with.

Using a little peanut butter in the same drink also adds value and taste to the beverage.

Brief About The Writer:

Dr. Kaviraj Khialani- Celebrity Master Chef, is a Mumbai based Author, Writer, Healthy Eating - Lifestyle Specialist, Food Designer, Academician & having mastered over 33 International Cuisines, is also a Food & Beverage Consultant. He has worked with esteemed properties like the Taj group of Hotels, Kuwait Airways to name a few, he has been awarded several Global and National Awards for his outstanding performance in his chosen field he loves to share his knowledge and experience of over 2 decades with the Food & Hospitality Industry.