Peper Chutney / Bengali Papaya Chutney / Plastic Chutney

Green papaya are used in abundance in Bengali cuisine. We use it as vegetable and at times also as the key ingredient of chutney as well. The papayas turn translucent once cooked rendering the name plastic chutney to the resultant dish. It's a very simple recipe but lipsmackingly good when served at the end of a meal with some crunchy papad and nothing else. You do not need any spices for the tempering or any ground spices at all, but just enough sugar syrup to keep the papayas submerged inside them.

 Peper Chutni /  Bengali Plastic Chutney / Bengali Green Papaya Chutney

Ingredients:

500gm green papaya

500gm white granulated sugar

A handful of cashew

A small piece of ginger

Squeeze of half a lime

A pinch of salt

Method:

Cut the papaya into very thin small slices. The slices should be kept as much identical in size as possible, otherwise thiner ones will be cooked quickly making the chutney mushy while the thick ones will stay uncooked and hard.

Dry roast the cashew nuts until they become slightly golden and keep aside. 

In a heavy bottomed saucepan put together the papaya and 1 litre of clean water.

Cover the saucepan and simmer on a steady simmer until the papayas are just cooked.

Add the sugar and and simmer for another 12-15 minutes.

Finish with the addition of cashew nuts, squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt.

Let it stand until it comes to room temperature and then serve.