No one can deny the health aspects we derive from a kitchen garden and the amount of satisfaction we get from the home-grown vegetables. Personally I believe a lot that having some plants in our garden / indoor pots will boost our energy level and balance the ecosystem soon. So if you wish to leave a healthy world to our future generation, kindly introduce the gardening skills to the kids.
That is why our elders could have educated us to worship the main tree in the Hindu temples (sthala virutcham).Lovely way to appreciate the Mother Nature. Isn't it!
I remember the days when guests visit my dad's house surprisingly in odd hours.
(Those were the days when people considered comforting the guests as service to God.
But unfortunately, they won't be having enough vegetables in stock or any restaurants nearby like us. So they will try to find a quick fix meal to serve the guest within half an hour.)
Immediately my mom would serve them a tall glass of cool butter milk flavored with curry leaf and sea salt / hot tea according to the outside weather.
Then while our dad / grandpa talking with them and we (the kids...that time ..ha ha) digging into their gifts , mom would run to the backyard to reach out some drumsticks and an unripe papaya.
Then what? mom could have finished an entire array of piping hot rice with ghee, vatral kulambu or green gram sambar , papaya koottu with some appalam / egg.
What could be more pleasing than this simple home made meal for our surprise guest!!
Hope every one likes this koottu:)
Unripe Papaya koottu / Papali kaai koottu
Ingredients:
Unripe papaya - 1 (350 gms)
Channa dhal (Bengal gram)- 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
salt - to taste
To grind:
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
green chilly - 2
Cumin seed - 1/4 tsp
To temper:
oil - 1 tsp
Chopped onion - 1 tbsp
curry leaf - 1 brig
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
Method:
1. Soak the channa dhal for 30 minutes.
2.Select a matured but unripe papaya.
Wash and clean the papaya.
Quarter it and remove the seeds along with its hairy fiber.
Remove the skin with a knife and wash the pieces again, so as to remove any milk like fluid from the outer layer.
Chop the papaya in to small cubes.
3.Pressure cook the channa dhal along with papaya, a cup of water and Turmeric powder to 3 whistles.
Put off flame and wait till the pressure gets released.
4.Grind coconut, green chilli and cumin seeds together.
5.Take a vessel with lid. Add the cooked papaya + dhal and ground mixture.
Bring them to a boil.Add salt to taste.
6. In the same time, heat oil in a wok.
Splutter the mustard seeds, then add the curry leaf and finely chopped onion.
Fry them till the onion turns red and crispy.
Add this tempering to the boiling papaya and put off flame.
Unripe papaya koottu is ready!
Serving suggestions:
Good to go as side dish with any roti or paratha or south Indian rice dishes.
Note:
1.Green papaya is believed to be harmful for pregnant women.
2.A small piece of green papaya added to the meat will make it tender and the meat will get cooked very fast. So it can be used as a meat tenderiser.
