Papaya/ Kappalanga Thoran- Papaya Stir- fried with Coconut

Papaya/ Kappalanga Thoran

Thoran is Kerala's version of a quick vegetable stir fry with coconut and spices. The heat is from green chilly, and the bright appealing color of thoran is from turmeric powder. Thoran is usually made with any vegetable, and today's vegetable is raw papaya/ papaya/ kappalanga. Papaya is a delicious tropical fruit and has good health benefits. The green raw papaya has equal health benefits as the ripe ones.

If you have tasted dishes with raw unripe papaya, you might have noticed it has a mild taste and is crisp and crunchy. It is widely used in Asian cuisine to make salads, curries, and pickles. The raw papaya has a slight bitterness to it, and the addition of coconut brings a delicious balance in taste and flavor. And to make a thoran, use a generous amount of coconut. Papaya thoran is a delicious and healthy vegan/vegetarian dish. It is heartwarming homey food that you can enjoy with steamed rice.

To make the thoran, papaya is finely shredded and stir-fried with coconut and onions. Freshly grated coconut, cumin, garlic, and curry leaves add flavor and taste. For a more authentic regional flavor, use pearl onions/ shallots and coconut oil to make this thoran. You'd be surprised at how simple and tasty this can be. It is an effortless way to make green papaya taste good, and it is ready in under 15 minutes. You can also add more vegetables like chopped cabbage, beans, or shredded carrot. What you add to it is totally up to you.

Papaya/ Kappalanga Thoran- Papaya Stir- fried with Coconut

Ingredients
Shredded papaya- 3 cup
Coconut shredded- 1 cup
Pearl onions chopped - 1/2 cu
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Garlic-2
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Green chilly-3-4
Dry red chilly-2
Curry leaves a few
Coconut oil- 2 tbs
Salt to taste

Wash and peel off the skin of the papaya. Scrap off the seeds, and clean the inner cavity. To process the papaya, you can use a box grater or food processor and make it into fine shreds. Set this aside.
Make a course mixture of coconut, cumin, turmeric powder, green chili and garlic, and pearl onion (use a mixer or crush with mortar and pestle).
In a large, heavy-bottom pan, heat two tablespoons of coconut oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal. When the mustard seeds splutter and urad dal turns golden brown add dry red chilly and curry leaves, and saute for a few seconds. In quick succession, add onions, salt, and turmeric powder and cook till onions are soft and golden. Add the shredded papaya and stir fry for two to three minutes. Put the lid on and let the papaya cook, stirring occasionally until wilted for two minutes. Add the coconut mixture, increase the heat to medium-high and stir fry till all the moisture evaporates and it is dry. Serve with rice.