One thing I really like about some of these Bengali vegetables is that they go so well with proteins. I particularly like incorporating these exotic vegetables into my meat and poultry dishes.
I’ve used Green raw papaya in this dish because I think it somehow enhances the flavours in the sauce and adds this lovely texture to the dish. I also think it goes very well with chicken. I’ve cut up the chicken pieces really small here because one, I think it helps cook quickly but also I think you get a lot of sauce in each morsel you put in your mouth.
This is a dryish dish on appearance but when you’re eating it, it’s very juicy because of the moisture content in the papaya try it and see what you think.
Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cinnamon stick
3 cardamoms split
2 bay leaves
2 onions finely chopped
2 green chillies thinly sliced
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 small raw green papaya peeled and julienned or chopped into 1cm cubes
4 tbsp veg oil
2 tbsp East End Mild Madras curry powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Garnish
1 tsp cinnamon powder
Method:
Heat the oil in pan, when hot add cinnamon stick, cardamoms and bay leaves.
When its aromatic add the garlic, stir for about 20 seconds then add your onions and salt.
Fry for a few minutes till onions are opaque.
Now add half cup of water, stir, cover on medium and simmer gently till the onions are soft mushy and the oil is starting to split.
Now add 4 tbsp water and your spice powders. Give this a very good stir. Cook till the oil splits again. Add water again and repeat this process 2 more times.
Next add your raw papaya, stir this well.
Add your sugar and cook of any water released from papaya. Now cover on low heat and cook till papaya is tender. Now add your chicken, green slit chillies, give this a really good stir.
Cover again and cook on med/low stirring occasionally till your chicken is cooked.
Uncover and dry fry till there is no liquid but a thick sauce clinging to your chicken and the papaya is breaking down.
Sprinkle cinnamon powder stir and serve.
I love serving this and eating it with puri, batura or chapatis.
The bite-size small pieces of chicken are easy to Scoop up and due to having a large surface area they are coated in plenty of sauce and spice.
Some nice pickle won’t go amiss!
Enjoy, my lovelies.
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