Pawpaw Curry with Lolo is an Indian inspired recipe of the South Pacific Fiji Islands, made with green papaya and coconut cream.
Pawpaw Curry with Lolo
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Pawpaw curry with lolo is my recipe of the day with the blogging group #EattheWorld. Each month we explore cuisines from a new and different country around the globe. The selection for March is for Fiji, a large set of islands in the South Pacific.
Recipe adapted from Khana Kakana : A Taste of Fiji by Nazia Ali
I was really happy to come across this idea for a curry since I had only made green papaya salad before and cooking it turns out a bit different.
What’s a Pawpaw?
Pawpaw is, in fact, what people in the southern hemisphere refer to as green papaya. In the United States, pawpaw is a different kind of fruit that grows in the Appalachian region as well as I think Florida, and is unrelated. Want to see my Appalachian Pawpaw Muffins Recipe? If you are only familiar with the green papaya version of pawpaw you might find it interesting.
Green Papaya
You might notice a couple of dings on the outside but this was not an indication of being overripe. I think it just just bruised in transport, but was otherwise fine after peeling.
White Interior with White Seeds
Green papaya are easy to peel and have a texture similar to uncooked potato. Just use a spoon to scrape out those seeds. After that it chops up easily.
Taste Just Like Lolo
Lolo is another term for coconut cream, which is the thick buttery stuff that rises to the top of a can of coconut milk. You can buy cans of coconut cream but they will still be a bit milky, although not quite as much as coconut milk.
This type of curry is Indian in nature, because much of the food on Fiji has it’s roots in those who have transplanted there from India. I think there is also a bit of Maori influence on the island as well.
Indian or Fijian?
I decided on this type of recipe as I said, because cooking green papaya is new to me, and the other recipes I researched for this region were more like ones I have already made for India. I thought the pawpaw might make it seem more island in sense, but as it turns out, this curry too is made on the Indian continent. At least I have not seen it served in restaurants here.
About Green Papaya
The green papaya is very much unripe- as it does ripen it turns orange and the seeds in the center turn black. I had two green papaya, one has a bit of a blush in the flesh but that was okay. The other was totally white. It doesn’t matter as long as they are not fully ripe. I don’t think a nice ripe papaya is going to stand up to cooking, so it’s probably best to squirt it with some lime juice and enjoy the fruit for breakfast.
The curry reminds me of an aloo potato curry, except it does have a fruity character to it. The overall flavor is not unlike the addition of fruits like pineapple to a Malaysian curry, although the pawpaw does not taste like pineapple.
Destination: Fiji
Check out all the wonderful South Pacific Fijian recipes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!
Palatable Pastime: Pawpaw Curry with Lolo (You are Here!)
Making Miracles: Lolo Buns
Dinner By Dennis: Palusami
Sneha’s Recipe: No Oil Or Butter Fijian Coconut Bread
CulturEatz: Kokoda, a Fijian Coconut Milk Ceviche
Pandemonium Noshery: Fijian Banana Cake with Dates and Coconut
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Fijian Creamy Lentil Soup (Dhal)
Kitchen Frau: Spiced Sweet Potato and Banana Salad
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Kokoda
Pawpaw Curry with Lolo
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Pawpaw Curry with Lolo
Pawpaw Curry with Lolo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3-3.5 pounds green papaya
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup canned coconut cream
- 1-2 chopped green Thai chillies
- 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Peel green papaya and remove seeds. Dice into chunks and set aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a large skillet and add the mustard and cumin seeds plus the garlic and allow to sizzle and become fragrant.
- Add the onion and cook until onion browns lightly.
- Stir in the papaya and spices along with the water.
- Cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the papaya softens. I've described the raw papaya texture to be like potato- similarly, it should have the texture of cooked potato when it is done. Time might vary depending on the size of chunks.
- Stir in the coconut cream and heat briefly.
- Garnish with chopped chillies and fresh cilantro.
- Serve with steamed rice.
Notes
