Raw papaya pachadi | Omakka pachadi | Kerala sadya recipe

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Raw papaya pachadi is a simple Kerala-style side dish made with raw papaya, cooked with coconut masala and topped with yogurt. A perfect sadya dish.

raw papaya pachadi | omakka pachadi | raw papaya raita | Kerala pachadi | Kerala Sadya recipe | Onam Sadya recipe| raw papaya recipe | south Indian side dish

My Pachadi Story

Raw papaya pachadi, also called omakka pachadi, is a simple Kerala-style yogurt side dish made with raw papaya.

This quiet dish, though not elaborate, offers a delightful cooling contrast to the spicy, tangy, and rich flavors of a Sadya spread.

I first made this pachadi when I was cooking my way through Kerala Sadya recipes. I had always thought of raw papaya as a vegetable for kootu or a dry curry, and never really considered turning it into a pachadi.

This easy Kerala pachadi recipe is quick to prepare with minimal ingredients. Serve it with hot rice and your favorite Sadya dishes, or as a cooling side dish for a weekday South Indian meal.

What is Omakka Pachadi?

In Kerala, raw papaya is called omakka, and this pachadi is a yogurt-based curry.

The raw papaya is cooked until soft, mixed with a freshly ground coconut and green chili paste, and then folded into whisked yogurt. A simple tempering of cumin, red chilies and curry leaves finishes the dish.

Kerala pachadis can vary from home to home, but the combination of vegetables or fruits, coconut, green chilies and yogurt gives them their characteristic fresh and mildly spiced flavor.

Ingredients you need

• Raw papaya, choose a firm, green raw papaya.
• Yogurt, use fresh, whisked plain yogurt. I prefer yogurt that is not overly sour because the coconut and green chili mixture already gives the pachadi plenty of flavor.
• Fresh coconut, freshly grated coconut forms the base of the pachadi masala. Frozen grated coconut can also be used when fresh coconut isn't available.
• Green chilies and cumin, chilies add the heat while cumin gives the coconut mixture its earthy flavor.
• Tempering, a simple tempering of oil, cumin seeds, dried red chilies and curry leaves is all this pachadi needs.

What do you serve with raw papaya pachadi?

Raw papaya pachadi is traditionally served as part of a larger Kerala Sadya and is particularly good with steaming hot rice.

You don't need a Sadya to make it, though. I also like it as a simple yogurt-based side dish for a regular South Indian lunch.

If you are putting together a Kerala-style meal, serve this alongside Pineapple Pulissery The two have a similar cooling yogurt base, but the pineapple brings a lovely sweet-tangy contrast.

For another South Indian yogurt-based dish, try my Vendhaya Keerai Mor Kuzhambu. It uses a coconut and green chili base too, but the preparation and texture are quite different.

And if you are looking for more Kerala Sadya recipes, my Onam Sadya Recipes collection has several dishes that can be combined into a complete feast.

More recipes with raw papaya

I have also used it in my Tricolor Salad, where thinly sliced raw papaya adds crunch and freshness to the salad.

You can also add raw papaya to my Instant Pot Vegetable Sambar along with other vegetables.

how to make it Protein Rich?

For a protein-rich papaya pachadi, substitute Greek yogurt for regular yogurt.

You can also blend 200 grams of silken tofu with the coconut green chili masala, easy protein without altering the taste.

More pachadi and yogurt-based recipes

If you enjoy pachadi, raita and yogurt-based sides, try these next:

• Nellikaai Thayir Pachadi / Amla Raita , a refreshing South Indian yogurt side made with amla, coconut and spices.
• Poosanikai morekuzhambu , a similar yogurt based gravy made with ashgourd.
• Mango Mor Kuzhambu , a sweet, tangy and mildly spiced yogurt-based curry.

Raw Papaya Pachadi | Omakka Pachadi | Kerala Sadya Recipe

Raw papaya pachadi is a simple Kerala-style side dish made with cooked raw papaya, coconut, green chilies and yogurt. Perfect for Sadya.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Kerala cuisine, South-Indian

Keyword: Easy pachadi recipe, Easy sadya recipe, Easy yogurt based curry, Kerala style pachadi recipe, Onam sadya recipe, Raw papaya recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 5

Calories: 99kcal

Equipment

• Magic bullet or equivalent blender for grinding the masala

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped raw papaya
• 1 cup of whisked yogurt
• ½ cup freshly grated coconut
• 2 green chilies increase to 3 if you prefer little more spice
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or mustard seeds, if you like the taste
• ½ teaspoon salt

Tempering

• ½ teaspoon oil
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 red chilies
• a strand of curry leaf

Instructions

• Peel and chop, half of a big papaya into small cubes. The chopped cubes measure 2 cups. Wash the cubes and take it in a pan, add water until the veggies immerse. Add salt and a pinch of turmeric and cook until soft.
• While the vegetable is cooking, take coconut, chilies, cumin seeds, in a small mixer, grind it to a smooth paste using little water.
• Now check the papaya, if it done, take it off the stove, drain any extra water.
• Add the ground coconut masala to the cooked papaya. Cook again for 8-10 minutes for the flavors to mingle. Take it off the stove, let it cool. Add it to yogurt, mix well.
• Let the cooked papaya and coconut mixture cool before mixing it with yogurt.
• Adding yogurt while the mixture is very hot can affect its texture. Once it has cooled to room temperature, whisk the yogurt and mix everything together

Let's Add Tempering

• Heat oil given under tempering, crackle cumin seeds, add red chilies, curry leaves.
• When the curry leaves turn crisp, pour the tadka over the pachadi, serve it along with rice.
• We enjoyed this pachadi with rice for dinner.

Notes

• To make this yogurt curry protein rich, use greek yogurt instead of normal yogurt. 
• Or blend 200 grams silken tofu, along with coconut green chili masala  and add it to the curry. 

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 270mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 756IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg

Disclaimer

I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.

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