Peper plastic chutney

Bong Eats’ pepe’r plastic chutney uses thin green-papaya pieces in a sweet-and-sour syrup. The Bengali catered-menu name refers to their glossy, translucent appearance.

The papaya is peeled and deseeded, sliced across into thin rounds, then divided into small square-like pieces. Uniform slices help create the chutney’s transparent finish.

Sugar and salt dissolve in water to make the syrup. If it is cloudy, the source offers a little milk, followed by straining off the floating scum.

The same papaya cooks covered in the syrup. Cashews join after it cooks, and fresh lime is squeezed into the chutney before further cooking slightly thickens it.

Cooking stops while the chutney is still a little looser than its intended final consistency, because it thickens further as it cools. It is then refrigerated and served chilled.