A tiny anecdote to my papaya paratha origin. The first time I tried a raw or green Papaya dish was at my in-laws' place. Umma, my mother-in-law, has a little kitchen garden and often whips up meals using her own fresh produce. One day, she brought in some raw papayas, and I was totally puzzled.
They looked so young, I thought they had fallen off the plant by accident! See, in my late 20s mind, papayas were meant to be eaten ripe, not green. But then Umma asked me to chop them up for a stir fry (thoran), and I was like, "Seriously?" My initial reaction was a big "Ewww," but I decided to trust her and follow her lead.
And you know what? That stir fry turned out to be amazing, even with just a simple mustard seeds tadka. So, this recipe was inspired after reading about green papaya uses. I had to make my favourite thing – of course, Papaya Parathas!
Ingredients
The two key ingredients to make papaya paratha would be chapati dough and grated papaya the rest are to build the flavours. You do not have to stick to this list but use it as a guide!
- Chapati dough: You will need flour, salt, and water (This is also the best way to use up any leftover dough in the fridge)
- Produce: Green papaya, green chillies, fresh herb like dill or cilantro or mint, and ginger and/or garlic
- Ground spices: You can use chaat masala or dry mango powder, or any garam masala powder
Please scroll down for the full recipe card.
Instructions
The process for making papaya paratha is pretty much like any other stuffed flatbread. You roll out the dough, add the filling, seal it up, press out any air, then roll it out again. Then, you cook it on a hot griddle with some ghee until it is nice and golden brown. Serve it up hot with some raita, pickle, or any curry.
You have two options to make this papaya paratha recipe! Just like making Mooli ka paratha, you can either incorporate the ingredients into a dough or prepare the filling and stuff it, like how we make Aloo or Gobi paratha. There is also a cooked filling version where you stir fry the grated papaya with aromatics and add it to the flour. All three versions taste great!
Prepare the papaya filling: Method-1
Peel, halve, discard any seeds and slice into wedges. I like to peel off the dotted skin inside. Wash and grate them carefully. Measure per recipe and add salt to release moisture.
Add the squeezed out grated papaya with rest of the filling ingredients.
Method-2
Optionally, you can also make the filling a cooked version. For this, heat tiny amount of oil and fry the ginger, green chilles and I have also added cumin seeds here for flavour.
Add the grated papaya with pinch of salt. Saute on high until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and let cool before you can add to the flour or stuff in the dough.
Prepare the dough & stuff
Prepare the chapati dough recipe. Detailed included in the recipe card below. You only beed flour, salt and water. A well rested whole wheat flour dough doesn't a lot of kneading.
You can either roll using rolling pin or flatten using hands.
Fill and seal by bring the dough together.
I always do this to release any trapped air. Press around the edges and if you see a bubbl, use a fork to punch out the trapped air. Doing this will help you to roll the stuffed parathas neatly.
When it comes to stuffed parathas, a good rule of thumb is to reduce the moisture in the filling. So, for our papaya filling, we start by draining off any excess juice from the grated papaya by adding a little salt. After that, it's all about assembling the filling, preparing the dough, stuffing it, and then cooking each paratha one by one until they're perfectly done.
Storage
Always store the freshly made papaya paratha on a piece of muslin or cheese cloth. This prevents the bottom one from becoming soggy. Don't cover if serving immediately. Any leftover, can be stored in the container on the counter for a day. Stays good for 3 to 4 if refrigerated. When ready to enjoy, reheat the parathas on a hot griddle or tawa until heated through.
FAQ
Green papaya is used for this recipe due to its firm texture and subtle flavor, you can experiment with semi-ripe papaya. However, keep in mind that ripe papaya may be sweeter and softer, which can be messy to make parathas.
Yes, you can prepare the stuffing for the papaya parathas in advance and store it in the refrigerator a day ahead. This can help save time when making the parathas.
Yes, you can prepare the dough for the parathas ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Brush the dough with oil to prevent from drying. You can use the dough immediately out of the fridge.
Yes, you can customize the stuffing by using different herbs such as coriander or mint leaves instead of dill. Experiment with different herbs to create unique flavor combinations.
Yes, you can cook the parathas without ghee if you prefer. Simply use a non-stick pan or griddle and cook the parathas until golden brown on both sides without brushing them with ghee. You can also use your choice of cooking oil.
I served this for lunch along with potato masala and we loved it. As you can see the papaya, I have used has a slight ripeness which gave a good blend of sweet and cucumber flavour.
📖 Recipe Card
Papaya Paratha
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup water, (approx.)
For the stuffing:
- 2 cups grated green papaya
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 to 3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
- ½ cup fresh dill leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garam masala, (or fennel seeds powder)
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala, (or dry mango powder)
Instructions
Prepare the stuffing
- Mix salt to the bowl grated papaya and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes (this is to make it release the moisture).2 cups grated green papaya½ teaspoon salt
- Take a handful of grated papaya and firmly squeeze out the juice to remove excess moisture. You can discard the water or use it in making the dough. Repeat until you have well drained grated raw papaya.
- Stir in the remaining ingredients and keep aside. You can taste and adjust the salt close to the time of stuffing.2 to 3 green chillies1 teaspoon ginger½ cup fresh dill leaves½ teaspoon garam masala½ teaspoon chaat masala
Prepare the dough
- Mix the flour and salt in a wide bowl. Add most of the water and mix and bring together to form a dough. Cover and let it rest for minimum 15 minutes. You do not have to knead the dough now if using only wheat flour.2 cups whole wheat flour1 teaspoon salt¾ cup water
- Knead the rested dough lightly for a couple of minutes and divide into 8 equal-sized balls.
- Take each dough ball and shape it into a smooth, round ball by tucking the edges underneath with your hands, creating surface tension on top. Repeat with rest of the dough balls and keep them covered all time.
Stuff the dough balls
- Take a dough ball and flatten it into a small circle with your hands. Then gently shape it into a small bowl. Alternatively, you can use a rolling pin to roll it into a 3-inch circle.
- Place 2 tablespoons of the filling in the centre. Gently bring the edges of the dough together over the filling and pinch them tightly to seal.
- Lightly press the stuffed dough to check if there is any trapped air. Use a fork to punch out the trapped air. Doing this will help you to roll the stuffed parathas neatly.
- Repeat with the remaining dough balls while using up the filling. If not a beginner, you may start cooking it simultaneously while rolling the stuffed dough.
Prepare Papaya Paratha
- Heat a thick-bottomed tawa or a griddle on a medium to high flame.
- Dust your rolling pin and board with some flour. Dust both sides of stuffed dough with flour. Roll gently while continuously rotating the rolled dough along, maintaining the same side facing downwards. It is okay with if the filling peeks, they will taste better when charred.
- Place the stuffed papaya paratha on the hot tawa (you can start rolling the next one while this gets cooked, but keep an eye)
- Cook for about 30 seconds or until bubbles start to form on the surface. Flip the paratha and cook the other side for about a minute.
- Brush the cooked side with ghee. Flip again and brush the other side with ghee. Drizzle more ghee around the edges.
- Press down gently with a spatula to ensure even cooking and crispiness. Cook until both sides are golden brown and crispy. Repeat with the remaining parathas.
- Serve hot with pickle and yoghurt. You can also serve with any non-veg curry or dal, etc.
Famidha Ashraf says
The raw papaya paratha recipe is one of the best ways to use this green vegetable.