KATHAL MASALA- JACK FRUIT

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INDIAN

Ingredients

• MULTIPLE ON DIRECTIONS PAGE

Preparation

Step 1

FOR FRESH JACK FRUIT
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
for pressure cooking kathal:
250 grams unripe jackfruit (kathal)
1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder (haldi)
¼ teaspoon salt
water as required, for pressure cooking jackfruit

FOR ONION PASTE:
80 grams onion OR 1 large onion OR ¾ cup chopped onions
1 to 2 tablespoons water - optional and if required while grinding onions

FOR TOMATO PASTE:
1 large tomatoes OR 160 grams tomatoes OR ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
1 inch ginger OR 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger
8 to 10 small garlic OR 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic (lahsun)
1 tablespoon mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

FOR CURRY:
2 tablespoons oil or ghee
½ teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds)
1.5 inches cinnamon (dalchini)
4 green cardamoms (chotti elaichi)
4 cloves (lavang)
1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
3 tablespoons beaten full fat curd
1.25 cups water OR add as required
½ teaspoon garam masala powder
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
salt as required

HOW TO MAKE RECIPE:

PRESSURE COOKING JACKFRUIT:

apply oil on your palms, knife and chopping board. rinse the peeled jackfruit. then chop the jackfruit and remove the seeds. generally i get the peel removed from the vegetable vendor. in case the peel is not removed, then you will have to slice off the peels. if using chopped jackfruit already brought from outside, then rinse them in water.

add the jackfruit pieces in a pressure cooker. while chopping jackfruit, you can remove the seeds if you want or add them in the dish.

then add 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.

add enough water which just about cover the jackfruit pieces.

pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles or for 8 to 9 minutes on medium flame.

once the pressure settles down, then remove the lid. drain all the water and keep the cooked jackfruit aside.

PREPARING ONION PASTE:
meanwhile when the jackfruit is being pressure cooked, you can prep for the gravy. add ¾ cup chopped onions in a grinder jar.

grind to a smooth paste without adding any water. remove and keep aside in a bowl.

PREPARING TOMATO PASTE:
in the same jar, then add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes. also add 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon mint leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.

grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.

PREPARING JACKFRUIT CURRY:
heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai.

then add the following spices and let them crackle - ½ teaspoon shah jeera, 1.5 inch cinnamon, 4 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 small to medium tej patta. you can slightly crush the green cardamoms before adding.

next add the ground onion paste. be careful as the mixture splutters. if the onion paste splutters too much, then cover the pan partly with a lid till the spluttering stops.

mix very well.

on a low to medium-low flame, stirring often saute the onion paste till it becomes light golden in color. you can even saute till it becomes golden.

then the tomato paste. be careful as the mixture splutters.

mix very well.

saute the masala till you see oil releasing from its sides. saute on a low to medium-flame and stir often.

then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder.

mix very well. saute for a minute.

keep the flame to a low or you can even switch off the flame. then add 3 tablespoons beaten full fat curd.

as soon as you add curd, quickly and briskly mix it very well with the onion-tomato masala.

now saute on a low to medium-low flame, till you see oil releasing from the sides.

then add 1.25 cups water. mix very well.

season with salt as per taste.

bring the curry to a simmer. you can add less or more water as per your requirements.

once the curry starts simmering and you see some oil specks on top, then add the cooked jackfruit. mix well.

cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 8 to 9 minutes.

later, sprinkle ½ teaspoon garam masala powder. mix well.

switch off the flame and add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. mix again.

serve kathal curry with steamed rice or chapatis.