Holiday Hawaiian Papaya Recipes |

The holidays are the time for turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, pies and other treats. Just because traditional meals are always available doesn’t mean you can’t have healthy options. Hawaii Papaya is a great addition to many meals, providing healthy nutrients and vitamins so you’ll feel a little better about yourself when you eat your third or fourth devil’s egg. Here are a few ways you can incorporate this healthy tropical fruit into your holiday meals to get that extra health benefit.

Hawaii Papaya is a very versatile fruit that is easy to add to all kinds of dishes and drinks. I won’t bore you with a long story like traditional recipe websites, so let’s look at a few recipes you can add to your Christmas dinners this year.

Simple savory meals

Chicken curry is always a great meal when the weather gets cold. It quickly warms everyone from the inside out. Here’s a great recipe with fresh ingredients to keep people from falling asleep before the last football game of the day.

Hawaiian papaya chicken curry

Ingredients:

• 1 pound chicken breast or thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 medium Hawaiian papaya (peeled, seeded and cubed)
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• A 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2-3 curry leaves (optional)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (adjust to taste)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Fresh coriander for garnish
• Juice of 1/2 lime

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and half of the turmeric.
2. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Use a large saucepan or frying pan to heat the coconut oil. Add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let this one start to sizzle a little. About 30 seconds.
4. Add the onions and fry until translucent.
5. Add the garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Stir for a minute and let sit.
6. Mix in the remaining turmeric, coriander powder and chili powder. Stir and let sit. Stir as necessary to prevent it from sticking to the pan.
7. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. Once browned, add the coconut milk and stir to combine the meat and spices. Bring the pan slowly to the boil and let it cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add the papaya and simmer the pot for another 5 to 7 minutes until the papaya is soft but not mushy.
9. Once that’s done, remove from the heat and finish the pot with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
10. Garnish with coriander or chives and it’s ready to serve.

Serve this dish with rice such as jasmine rice and with a piece of warm naan to soak up the juices.

Side dish

This wild rice recipe will set you apart from other guests because the citrus flavor and warm rice combine perfectly and make a great dish to serve alongside the savory mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole and filling.

Wild rice and papaya salad

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 c wild rice, rinsed
• 3c water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large ripe papaya
• 1 c grated carrots (2 medium carrots)
• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish
• 3/4 c white rice wine vinegar
• lettuce leaves (for serving)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, combine wild rice, water, and salt; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered until rice is tender, about 50 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid and place the rice in a large bowl; let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. Peel the papaya, deseed and cut it into cubes. Add this to the rice together with the carrots and coriander. Pour over the rice wine vinegar and stir gently. Line a bowl with lettuce leaves and spoon the wild rice into a pile.

Salad dressing

Adding this dressing to any salad will brighten it up and add a little vibrancy and counteract the richness of traditional meals.

Salad dressing with papaya seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1 cup of vinegar
• 1 1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 cup papaya seeds
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 3⁄4 cup onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Mix salt, sugar mustard and vinegar in a blender.
2. Gradually add oil while the blender is running.
3. Remove it to a serving bowl.
4. Mix the papaya seeds, walnuts and onion in the blender.
5. Stir in the oil and vinegar mixture.

Best served chilled with any type of tossed vegetable.

Yields 3 cups.

Cocktail

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t get a taste of Hawaiian beaches. This spicy papaya drink will get the roll going in your home and wake people up after a nice meal of turkey and stuffing.

Spicy Papayaman Cocktail

Ingredients

• ½ papaya
• 1½ tbsp lime juice
• ½ cup coconut water
• 1-2 slices of jalapeño (remove the seeds unless you like it spicy)
• 1 tablespoon agave maple syrup or agave nectar
• 2 oz. tequila (we used Reposado Tequila)

Directions:

1. Add to blender and mix with 1-2 handfuls of ice

Just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean you can’t have a little bit of summer in your life. Hawaiian papaya is a great addition to many meals and drinks, adding a little flavor and a bit of healthy nutrition to any holiday occasion. Visit for more recipes and learn how to order Hawaiian papaya.

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