Tribewanted: Vorovoro

This is the one that everyone’s been waiting for…a favourite amongst all the tribe, hot amongst the Fijians and it get’s a definite thumbs up from the President of the Hammock Society…this lunch time special is delicious! Not only because it tastes divine but the pawpaws come from our very own pawpaw trees grown around the island so you couldn’t get better than this.

Pawpaws are also well known to be a fantastic fruit to help with digestion and brilliant to boost the immune system. This recipe is super simple so this meal can be whizzed up in no time!

Also this week, we have Kini a new chef in the kitchen as Va is visiting her sister in Australia for a couple of months. Although its strange not to have our super dooper cook around, Kini is following in Va’s footsteps and cooking up a storm!

Right, lets get to it Kini…

Pawpaw Curry (Kari Weleti) serves 12

INGREDIENTS:

3 large green pawpaws (or 2 green and 1 ripe)
2 onions
4-6 garlic cloves
A splash of spices…chilli powder, masala powder and turmeric
A dash of salt
A grinding of pepper
Canola oil (you can use other favourless oils such as soya bean oil too)

METHOD:

The first thing to do it get stuck into the pawpaws! Use a sharp knife to peel the skin, cut into half and scoop out the seeds.
Cut the fruit into fairly small chunks and place in a bowl.
Then dice the onions and finely chop the garlic.
Pour a little oil into a saucepan, sizzle up the onions and garlic and splash in the spices and cook for a few minutes until golden.
Add the pawpaw and s t i r.

Once all the ingredients is mixed together, put the lid on and let it bubble away…but don’t forget to stir regularly to avoid the mixture sticking to the saucepan!

Simmer for 10-20 minutes until pawpaw is soft.

This dish works best with roti’s but is also equally satisfying with rice or potatoes too.

Sooo, to make a plate of amazingness for you and complete the meal, I’ve included the roti recipe too…

ROTI’s (to make 24…2 each!)

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups Plain Flour
2 cups water
A sprinkling of Salt

METHOD:

Pour flour in a bowl and add the water little by little to make a ‘bread like’ dough.
Sprinkle over the salt and combine with the mixture.
Rip off a piece of dough and roll into a hand sized ball…keep building up small balls until you roughly have 24.

Next, the fun bit of flattening them all out!

Dust some flour on a surface…
…and take each ball and roll out into a thin circle about 1mm thick.
Whilst you are flattening the dough, you can also start cooking…

Sooo, turn on a frying pan and allow to heat up.

The great thing about roti’s is that you don’t need any oil and they cook really quickly. Healthy and fast!

Lay your flat circle of dough into the heated frying pan and allow to cook for 30 seconds. (In this time, roll out another circle…)
Then, using as spatula, flip the roti.

The hotter the frying pan is, the quicker it will cook and the faster you have to turn them over!

Both sides of the roti should be gently cooked so it is golden browned with a few spots of darker brown where its truelly cooked. The secret is so to keep checking and turning them over regularly so they don’t burn.
Keep going until all the circles have been cooked.

The best way to serve them is fold each one into quarters and arrange around a plate.

Rawa. Easy!

Also to finish the dish, serve with a refreshing, leafy salad with a sprinkle of grated coconut and pumpkin seeds.

Mmmmm….delicious and nutritious.

SERVING TIP FROM KINI:

‘We Fijians love the Pawpaw curry with white fish or tinned tuna. Very tasty! Add the fresh herbs too. Chop them and add to the pawpaw’

Thank you Kini for the great suggestions and for filling our tummies! It’s very satisfying making a meal with the ingredients on the island.

Happy curry cooking and if you would like to try other recipes from Vorovoro’s Kitchen, please check out this link: http://www.tribewanted.com/page/recipes