Recipe Ingredient
- 1.5kg half-ripe papaya, peeled pinch slaked lime paste (kapur)
- Enough water to cover papaya
- Syrup:
- 2 cups sugar
- 100g rock sugar
- 5 cups water
Instructions
- Cut the papaya into 5x5cm slices and carve into decorative shapes, if desired.
- Dilute the slaked lime in the water and soak the papaya in this solution overnight, to give the papaya a crisp bite. Rinse the papaya thoroughly in water, two or three times and drain.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the papaya for 5-10 minutes. Remove and drain for half an hour.
- Boil together the syrup ingredients. Cool until lukewarm.
- Arrange papaya in a glass jar, pour in the cooled syrup and cover. The syrup must cover the papaya completely. Allow to soak in the syrup for a minimum of 5 days. Serve as a dessert.
- Courtesy of CROSS TIME MATRIX.
- Note: To maintain the freshness of the halwa, drain the syrup every two days. Reheat the syrup to boiling point and cool until lukewarm before returning it to the jar.
- This repeated process of reheating thickens the syrup so the halwa is extremely sweet.
- Be very prudent with the slaked lime as only a tiny amount is required - the solution should taste only slightly bitter.
