Omita Khaar (Bitter Green Papaya Curry)

I cheated a bit on this curry. It's meant to be made with green/unripe papaya. Unfortunately, I didn't have any of that. What I did have, though, was a bunch of kohlrabi that's been going begging in the fridge because I got it by accident in one of my produce boxes. And it turns out that kohlrabi actually makes a decent substitute for unripe papaya! Score!

This is one of those very simple curries that I always feel a bit nervous making. There really doesn't seem to be enough to it for it to be acutally... good. Just papaya, a couple of chilies, and some salt, mustard seeds, and baking powder? No garlic, no onion... not even any turmeric! That can't possibly turn into something tasty, right?! Especially when it's made with something as dubious as unripe papaya. And the fact that the recipe aims to double down on the bitter elements also did not instill a great degree of confidence in me. TF and I aren't generally that big on bitter flavours in general. But, you know what, this was actually pretty good! I mean, don't get me wrong, it wasn't a revelation or anything. It's not anyone's new favourite. But, considering the number and nature of the ingredients? It definitely exceeded my expectations for it!

So, if you find yourself in possession of kohlrabi and/or unripe papaya and aren't sure what else to do with it. I can genuinely recommend this recipe. It's not going to take centre stage on its own, but it makes a lovely vegetable side dish to go along with the rest of the meal.

Photo goes here.

Omita Khaar

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 680g unripe papaya (or kohlrabi)
• 2 Tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds¹
• 2 fresh green² Thai, finger, or serrano chilies, halved lengthwise
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. water

Directions

1. Cut off the heel and stem ends of the papaya, peel it, and slice it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and "guts", then cut the flesh into 1.5cm cubes. (If using kohlrabi, peel it and cut it into cubes.)
2. Heat the mustard oil over medium-high heat.
3. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until they stop popping (30-60 seconds).
4. Add the papaya (or kohlrabi) and chilies and stir-fry until papaya just begins to brown (4-5 minutes).
5. Add the baking powder and salt and stir-fry for another 4-5 minutes.
6. Add the water, stir to combine, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until papaya is fork tender but still holds its shape (15-20 minutes).

---

¹ The original recipe only calls for 1/2 tsp. of mustard seeds, but I'm so used to 1 tsp. being the default amount that I just went on autopilot and put a full tsp. in. That said, I really liked the result, so I think I'd do it that way again in the future. Alternatively, it might be interesting to try making it with panch phoron either as well as or instead of the mustard seeds. I've seen recipes for omita khaar online that call for it and I think the additional spices would go quite well! ^Back
2 I have a bunch of green finger chilies in the freezer. That said, I still had two fresh red finger chilies in the fridge that needed to be used up before they went off, so I just tossed those in instead. Maybe not quite as visually harmonious as the green ones would have been, but still excellent flavour-wise. ^Back