Here is a kitchen tip that might completely change how you cook meat – good mutton curry is not always about the quality of the cut; often, it is how you treat it before it hits the pan. If your mutton curry usually turns out chewy or tough, there is a simple fix that might already be sitting in your fruit basket – raw papaya. Yes, the same papaya that shows up on your breakfast plate with all its gut-friendly goodness. A bit of it can completely change your tough meat. But here is the catch: it must be raw papaya, not the ripe orange ones.
Raw papaya has something hidden in its green flesh that does the heavy lifting – a natural enzyme that breaks down the tough muscle fibres in meat, making it juicy and soft. Even a stubborn piece of mutton becomes easier to chew. Try it once and see how it takes your mutton recipes up a notch.
Papain: The Tenderiser Hiding In Papaya
Papaya works like magic in meat dishes because of an enzyme called papain. Papain is a type of proteolytic enzyme that comes from the white sap inside raw papayas. A report in the journal Nature mentions that it breaks proteins into smaller parts like amino acids and peptides. This action makes the meat softer and easier to cook, giving your dish that perfect texture.
Also Read: 7 Tantalising Mutton Curries From North India You Must Try
How To Soften Meat With Papaya:
Koyel Roy Nandy, co-head chef at Sienna in Kolkata, breaks down two tried-and-tested ways to use papaya in meat dishes.
Method 1. Blend it into a paste or juice:
Chef Koyel says that papaya paste or juice is a go-to in kebab recipes across North India. It helps create that buttery, tender texture you want in kebabs. Just add it to your marinade and let it sit. The papain gets to work, breaking down the meat and softening it just right.
Method 2. Cut it into cubes:
Chef Koyel adds that in Eastern India, chunks of papaya are used in mutton curries. They work quietly in the background to soften the meat while soaking up all the rich spices. Because raw papaya has a neutral taste, it blends well into the curry without changing the original flavour.
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The Raw Papaya Rulebook:
Keep these simple rules in mind when using raw papaya for meat tenderising:
1. Understanding the Meat:
Know your meat type before adding papaya. Tougher cuts of mutton will need a bit more papaya to really work through the fibres and soften it properly.
2. Picking the Right Papaya:
Look for firm, green raw papayas. These are loaded with the active enzyme papain, which is key for breaking down the meat and getting it tender.
3. Do Not Over-Marinate:
While marinating is great for flavour, letting it sit too long with papaya can go too far. The meat might get mushy. Watch your marination time to avoid this.
Papaya might not be the hero ingredient on the surface, but behind the scenes, it does some serious work. So the next time you are making a mutton curry, do not ignore that raw papaya lying in your kitchen. Wash it, cut it, add it in, and let it do its thing. You will be surprised at how much of a difference it makes.
