Kathal sabzi with roti
Raw jackfruit, the vegetarian's "mutton", fried in mustard oil and cooked in an onion-tomato masala with curd and garam masala until it pulls apart like meat: the North Indian summer sabzi, eaten with roti or rice. Oil your hands and knife before cutting it, or buy it ready cut from the sabziwala; Bengal's echorer dalna is a lighter version.
- 1 h 05Time
- 1 hHands-on
- 4Portions
- 15 gprotein per portion
- 580kcal per portion
Ingredients for 4 portions
- 750 gRaw jackfruit (kathal), peeled, in 3 cm pieces
- 1 tspTurmeric
- to tasteSalt
- 5 tbspMustard oil
- 1Bay leaf
- 1 tspCumin, seeds
- 3Cloves
- 1 gCardamom, 2 pods
- 2Onions, finely chopped
- 1 tbspGinger-garlic paste
- 2Tomatoes, puréed
- 1 tspRed chilli powder
- 2 tspCoriander powder
- 150 gCurd, whisked
- ≈ 250 mlWater, hot
- 1 tspGaram masala
- 2 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped
On the side
- 300 gAtta
- ≈ 200 mlWater, for the dough
- 1 tbspGhee, for brushing (optional)
Method
- Put the atta in a large bowl and add the water little by little, kneading to a soft, smooth dough, about 5 minutes. Cover and let it rest.
- Wash the jackfruit pieces and put them in a pan with water to cover, half the turmeric and salt.
- Boil the jackfruit for 8–10 minutes, until a knife goes in easily, then drain.
- Meanwhile, chop the onions finely and purée the tomatoes.
- Heat most of the mustard oil in a kadai until it just smokes, then lower the flame. Fry the jackfruit, turning, until golden brown all over, about 8 minutes, and lift it out.
- Add the rest of the oil to the kadai with the bay leaf, cumin seeds, cloves and cardamom. When the cumin splutters, add the onions and fry until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add the tomatoes, the rest of the turmeric, the red chilli powder and coriander powder and cook until the oil separates, about 6 minutes.
- Lower the flame and stir in the curd a little at a time, stirring all the while so it doesn't split. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the jackfruit and pour in the hot water. Cover and simmer on a low flame for 15–18 minutes, until the jackfruit is very soft and the masala is thick.
- Meanwhile, divide the dough into 12 balls. Roll each into a thin roti about 15 cm across, dusting with a little atta, and cook on a hot tawa until small bubbles appear; flip and cook the other side for half a minute. Hold it over the flame with tongs until it puffs up, brush with ghee and keep the rotis wrapped in a cloth.
- Sprinkle over the garam masala and coriander leaves, stir and serve with the hot rotis.
