Papaya Nu Sambhariyu

My husband was super excited when I bought a firm raw papaya that I found at the Indian store last week. He new I would make papaya nu athanu/sambhariyu, an accompaniment with jalebi and fafda :) As soon he woke up, he was in the kitchen to help me make the breakfast. So last Saturday we had a special Gujarati brunch of fresh jalebis, crisp savory fafdas, and some delicious raw papaya chutney/sambhariyu.

Raw Papaya Sambhariyu is a sweet and spicy dry chutney made of sliced or grated papaya. This condiment is very popular amongst Gujus and usually sold at a Gujarati farsan/snack shop. Every shop has their technique of making this chutney, and all taste delicious with the main ingredient, raw papaya.

Ingredients to make Papaya Nu Sambhariyu
1 small firm raw papaya
4 tbsp. oil
1/2 tbsp. mustard seeds
Few Green chillies chopped
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. haldi/tumeric
1 cup besan/chickpea flour or 2 cups crushed Khaman Dhokla

• Peel papaya, cut into half, deseed, and thinly slice it.
• Cut few green chillies.
• In a pan heat 4 tbsp. oil. Add mustard seeds and fry green chillies for a minute. 
• Add sliced papaya, salt, and tumeric powder. Mix well. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes till papaya is slightly tender. Do not overcook and make it mushy.
• Add a cup of chickpea flour and 1 tbsp. sugar mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. (When this recipe is prepared in farsan shops, usually left over broken khaman dhokla is mixed in once raw papaya is cooked. So you could add 2 cups of crushed khaman dhokla instead of chickpea flour.)
• Serve prepared sambhariyu with fafda and Jalebi.

Click here for the recipe of Fafda

Click here for the recipe of Jalebis

Strawberry Jam

California has such a pretty climate for strawberries and to top it all there are strawberry farms to select and pick your own strawberry and eat as many as you can. This was a big attraction for my parents while they visited us from India. Although they have seen strawberry farms in Mahabaleshwar, India, there is nothing like being able to pick you own. It was a fascinating experience for all of us. Pictures speak for themselves!

We carried 13 pounds of freshly picked strawberries back home!

 We deserved Alloo Kulche, chole, pickle, onions and raita after a brilliant pick.

Totally Indian way of picnicking. Super windy climate...see how Snehanshu weighs my plate down while he lost his kulcha in the wind!! :)

So now that strawberries were home, cleaned and washed them to start preserving not only the strawberries but all the fun we had together and to share the sweetness and freshness with everyone back in India.

This is how you could make your Jam!

Puree strawberries. Keep it chunky or non chunky as per your choice.

Snehanshu as well as my sister both love it non chunky :)

Love this new set of measuring cups, a gift from one of my students. :)

In a heavy bottom pan mix 1 cup pureed strawberries with 1 cup sugar. Mix well and start heating it. 

Add 1 tbsp. lemon juice to prevent sugar from crystallizing when cooled. 

Bring it to boil.

Love my another great tool...Candy thermometer. Bring the sugar temperature to 220F. which would take around 15 minutes to reach the desired temperature.

If you do not have a candy thermometer...  chill a plate in a freezer. Pour a spoon full of boiling jam and let it cool.

 Tilt the plate. If the jam is set well it will not flow much. You can always select the desired consistency. Remember it is going to continue to cook and thicken and set when cooled. This is a jam made without using pectin or any preservatives. It has a touch of freshness and homemade!

Pour in clean sterilized bottles. I placed these bottles in a microwave for 15 minutes at 220F temperature. 

 Jam bottles ready!

Although Snehanshu is not a big fan of Jams, he enjoyed this freshly picked homemade Jam on his morning toast :) A great success! 

Bubble wrapped the bottle to send it to my sister in India. 

She clicked these snaps and this is what she wrote on my FB timeline.

"Thanks to you I ended up tasting the worlds best strawberry jam. I don't think I will spread it on the bread. It tastes perfect as is it.. Love u for making it."

:) I so love you and miss her too Deepu!!

When are you making yours?