There are times when we have so many Papayas on our trees waiting to ripen, that it can be overwhelming, so we take down some green ones and use them in various ways at the Cafe.

This Green Papaya soup is one such creation that our guests adore, as we do too!

Try it out for yourselves, and you will be pleasantly surprised at what deliciousness can be created from such a common and unassuming ingredient as a Papaya that hasn’t ripened yet!

The recipe:

• Peel, wash and dice 1 medium sized Green Papaya. Put it in a large boiling pot along with a ½“ piece of Ginger (sliced thin), 4 cloves of Garlic (chopped coarsely), 1 teaspoon of Peppercorns and 5 Shallots (peeled and cut in halves).
• To the above, add 1 Lemon leaf, a ‘knot’ of Lemongrass, a few Basil leaves, a few Dill leaves and 2 Sweet Green Chilies (you can also use Bay leaves and cloves if you like ).

• Pour enough water into the pot to immerse all the ingredients, cover it partially and put it to boil. When the Papaya has softened and cooked through (it will appear slightly translucent), take the vessel off the heat and strain the water out (keep this water).
• Pick out the Lemongrass and Lemon leaf (or bay leaves if you have used those), and put the rest of the ingredients into the blender with some of the stock water from boiling. Blend, while adding the stock water periodically, into a light, but creamy consistency.
• To the soup base, add ½ a cup of fresh pressed thick Coconut milk, and salt to taste. Stir them in.

Your mouth-watering Green Papaya Soup is ready to serve.

We garnishe it with some Moong sprouts and Hibiscus petals, Be creative!