Timpla't Tikim
By SOL VANZI
MANILA, Philippines -- It is a fruit, it is a vegetable, it’s everywhere at all seasons. The papaya, which Filipinos consider ordinary and common, is hard to match in versatility, availability, nutrition, affordability and universal appeal.
When ripe, it is delicious and convenient whether eaten plain or mixed with others in a salad. With natural sweetness, ripe papaya requires no additional sugar and could be served straight from the tree. Its creamy texture makes the ripe fruit a perfect ingredient for smoothies, sorbets, and shakes. Sliced in half with the pulp scooped out, the shell becomes a natural “boat” or serving bowl for fruits and dips.
As a vegetable, green and unripe, papaya is often under-utilized in many Filipino kitchens, where its use is limited to only two dishes: achara (sweet-sour pickle) and tinola (gingered chicken soup). Ask for a third recipe and many will be hard put to add any more to the very short list, thereby missing out on a very inexpensive way to add nutrients to the family’s diet.
More Protein In Green -- The mature green fruit has higher nutritional properties than the ripe fruit. The green fruit has only 1/3 of the calories of the ripe fruit but has approximately twice as much of highly digestible protein. The green fruit has only 2/3 of the carbohydrates of the sweet ripe fruit. Mature green papaya contains more vitamin A than carrots, more vitamin C than oranges, abundant fiber, vitamin B factors and vitamin E.
Rich In Folate – Folate, also known as folic acid, is a chemically complex vitamin found naturally in foods. It aids fetal development in pregnancy, helps produce red blood cells, prevents anemia, helps skin cells grow, aids nervous system function, prevents bone fractures, and lowers the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. A cup of papaya provides 28 percent of one’s daily requirement of folate, almost equal to the amounts in cooked beets and split peas.
Suwam Na Tulya – A Pinoy standard using bivalves: tulya (freshwater green clams), lukan (mangrove giant clams), halaan (sea clams) or tahong (mussels). Broth or water is added to sauted garlic, onion and ginger; sliced green papaya is simmered until almost tender. Clams are added last and served when the clams open. Ground black pepper, boullion cube and leafy vegetables (malunggay, pechay, chili pepper leaves) are sometimes added for extra flavor and nutrients.
Kilawen – This is a cooked kilawen, not to be confused with the raw fish kilawen. The green papaya is cut into thin slices or sticks, sautéed with plenty of garlic, onion and ginger, seasoned with bay leaf, vinegar, salt and coarsely-ground black pepper. Protein is added in the form of small fresh water shrimps called Tagunton. Leftover boiled pork may also be incorporated. Instead of salt, some cooks use raw Bagoong Alamang. In some households, atsuete is added for color. Long green hot peppers add zing.
Ginataang Papaya – Saute smashed garlic, sliced onion and crushed ginger, then add sliced papaya and whole green chili peppers and mix thoroughly until heated. Stir in pure coconut milk, bagoong alamang, small fresh water shrimp, crabs, some leftover boiled pork or salted fish. Lower heat, cover and simmer until papaya is almost tender.
Turn heat on high to reduce and thicken gravy, uncover and stir to prevent scorching. At this point, some add malunggay leaves, chili pepper leaves or shredded pechay. Simmer a few more minutes before serving.
Dinengdeng – Hugas-bigas (rice rinse water) is boiled, seasoned with sliced or mashed ripe tomatoes, onions, and ginger. Sliced green papaya is simmered in the broth for 5 minutes, then joined by green leaves of either saluyot, kalabasa or sitaw. Fish bagoong is used instead of salt. Serve as soon as the leaves are wilted by the boiling broth. If there is any leftover fried or broiled fish in the house, these should be added with the leaves and served atop the vegetables.
Tinolang Daing – A Lenten staple when meat is banned and fresh fish is expensive. Salted dried fish is rinsed to reduce saltiness, then patted dry and fried lightly. Garlic, onion and ginger are sautéed with sliced green papaya until transluscent. Broth is added with the cooked fish, seasoned with ground black pepper, covered and simmered. Green leafy vegetables may be added at the last minute of cooking.
In some parts of the country, the onions and ginger are not sautéed but merely simmered in broth with the papaya and dried fish.
Empanadang Ilocos – A few empanada street vendors in Ilocos Norte use grated green papaya as filling instead of, or in addition to, bare-sprouted mongo. The grated papaya is partially cooked, never used raw.
Papaya-Potato Curry – In some parts of India, green papaya is mixed with potatoes when preparing vegetable or meat curries.
Healthy Thickener – Finely grated green papaya can be added to thicken soups and gravies without adding any unwelcome flavoring. We have used it to give body to Paksiw na Lechon, Menudo, Mechado, and Kare-Kare. On one occasion, we even used papaya to thicken beef stew when we ran out of flour and corn starch.
Gravy too salty? – Green papaya is handy when making soups and gravies, especially when the cook finds out he or she has added too much salt. A few slices of papaya into the pot will absorb a lot of saltiness. Remove the papaya before serving and no one will ever know about the mishap.
For feedback and comments, email to: solvanzi2000@yahoo.com.
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