I must confess: I hate papayas. Or, at least, I hate ripe papayas. I am one of those unfortunate people for whom the smell of ripe papaya just brings to mind all sorts of unpleasantness. Still, papaya trees keep growing in my backyard, as if to mock me. Rather than let them go to waste, a friend suggested that I try using them while green. Apparently, green papaya lacks that off-putting smell and aftertaste. Because of its comparison to green mango, I decided to try making green papaya chutney. The result turned out spectacular.

One lesson that I learned while making papaya chutney: milk your green papayas before cutting. That is, score the skin of the papaya and let it sit on your counter for about an hour. This will drain the papain, which is an enzyme found in papaya. If you’re sensitive to papain, it can make you very itchy. If you’re not, it’s also considered to be a great meat tenderizer.

The green papaya chutney should keep for about a month in refrigerator.

Green Papaya Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 red chili, sliced (or substitute 1/2 tsp red chili flakes)
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 5 cups of papaya, peeled and julienned (or diced)
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients except for the vinegar in a non-reactive saucepan. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.

The following day, remove the cover and add the vinegar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook until the chutney has thickened and reduced to your liking, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon stick. Transfer the cooked papaya chutney to jars and allow to cool. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.

Makes about 4 cups