Kancha Peper Ghonto (Raw Papaya mash with grated coconut and dal vadi))

Hope you all had a wonderful fun-filled Diwali week with your family and friends. I had a great time,too...wearing new clothes, making sweets and savouries at home and sharing them with family and friends, lighting lamps allover the house, had fun and laughter with friends. Wow, had such a nice time..I'm still into festive mood. But in these festive days, I didn't even had little time to peep into my own blogbaby, forget about blog hopping. I felt so bad that today just after I finished my breakfast, I opened my blog and thought to share a simple Bengali Side dish with you all....

We Call it Pepe'r Ghonto/Raw papaya curry...It's very easy to make, but tastes awesome with warm rice. If you're wondering, what is Ghonto, then you should know, it is a bengali cooking style, where one single vegetable or sometimes mixed vegetables are finely chopped or mashed or grated and cooked with a phoron or tempering and with minimum spices. Ghee(clarified butter) is added at the end. Dry palattes of lentil(wari/bori) are also often added to it. Non-vegetarian ghontos are also made with fish/fishheads/small shrimps added to vegetables. The famous Murighonto is made with fish heads cooked with rice.
In this recipe, raw papaya is parboiled and mashed, then cooked with very minimum and selective spices and grated coconut, which I'll recommend not to skip. And vari/waris add crunch and texture to this otherwise very simple dish. 
Do you know, Papaya is known as "Superfood". It has loads of health benefits, to know about the health benefits of Papaya, peep into my this post. 

Let's Move on to the recipe........................

Ingredients :

Raw papaya : 1(small)
Potato : 2(medium)
Dal Wari/daler bori : 10-12
Coconut : 1 tblsp.(grated)
Green Chillies : 2-3(slitted) (use accr. to your taste)
Ginger : 1tsp. (grated)
Bay leaf : 1
Dry red chilli : 1
Green cardamom : 3(grind into powder)
Whole Cumin seeds : 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 1-2 tsp.

Cumin powder : 1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Oil : 2-3 tblsp.
Ghee(clarified butter) : 1 tsp.

How To ::

• Preperation: 1) Cut Papaya into large pieces and parboil with a pinch of salt on stove top or in pressure cooker. You can microwave it, too. Any way you boil it, make sure the vegetable is soft but not overboiled. When its cooled, mash them roughly.
• 2) Cut potatoes into small cube like chunks.
• Cooking : Heat Oil in a pan, fry the potatoes with a pinch of salt. Keep aside.
• In the same oil, fry boris till golden brown and keep aside.
• In the same oil, temper with bay leaf, dry red chilli and cumin seeds. When seeds start to splutter, add grated coconut, fry till lightly brown. Add cumin, turmeric powder, slitted green chillies and grated ginger. stir for 30 secs-1 min.
• Now add mashed papaya, fried potatoes and half of the fried boris(half keep for decoration). Mix well with spices. Add salt and sugar. Cover and cook in low heat until potatoes are done. No need to add water, if needed, add very little and it should be evaporated. 
• When potatoes are done, finally add ghee and sprinkle cardamom powder from top. Mix well.
• Decorate with crushed fried boris. 

Non-veg variation : 

Kucho Chingri-pepe ghonto(papaya curry with small shrimps) : Fry small shrimps with little salt and turmeric powder. Add with mashed papaya and potatoes. Rest follow the same recipe. Then no need to add boris. It does not go well with shrimps.

Serve it with rice and dal/lentil...it's just a comfort food.