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Tumis daun pepaya
Stir-fried papaya leaves
Tumis daun pepaya: Manado-style papaya leaves stir-fried with chilli, garlic and lemon basil
In Manado and across North Sulawesi and Maluku, a plate of tumis daun pepaya sits beside rice, grilled corn and sambal at everyday lunches and at big family gatherings, where its clean bitterness cuts through rich coconut dishes. The leaves are boiled first to tame them, then stir-fried hot with shallot, garlic, chilli and lemon basil until glossy. Many cooks add a little dried anchovy or fish; this version is vegetarian and gets its savouriness from a spoon of soy sauce and the fried aromatics. It is a light side with about 4 g of protein per portion, from the leaves themselves, so serve it with tofu, tempeh or beans if you want a full meal. The common mistake is skipping the pre-boil: raw papaya leaves are harshly bitter. Chef's tip: squeeze the boiled leaves hard and fry them in a hot, dry-ish pan so they take on a little colour rather than stewing.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 9 oz young papaya leavestender top leaves, thick stems removed
- 1 ½ tsp salt1 tsp for the boiling water, the rest to season
- 4 guava or tamarind leaves (optional)optional, boiled with the papaya leaves to soften bitterness
For the stir-fry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 shallotsthinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlicthinly sliced
- 4 red bird's-eye chilliessliced
- 1 stalk lemongrassbruised and knotted
- 1 tomatocut into wedges
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp sugar
- ½ oz lemon basil leavesor Thai basil
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Bring a large pan of water to the boil with 1 tsp of ⅞ tsp salt and the 4 guava or tamarind leaves, if using. Add 9 oz young papaya leaves and boil, uncovered, until the leaves are dark and soft, then drain.
10 minStep 2: Rinse the leaves under cold water, squeeze them hard by the handful to get out as much bitter liquid as you can, and chop roughly.
Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok over a medium-high heat. Fry 4 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 4 red bird's-eye chillies and 1 stalk lemongrass, stirring, until the shallots are soft and just turning golden at the edges.
3 minStep 5: Take off the heat, toss through ½ oz lemon basil leaves until it just wilts, remove the lemongrass and taste: it should be pleasantly bitter, salty and hot. Serve warm with rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tumis daun pepaya take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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