Kathal Kayastha Style (Jackfruit)

Kathal is a seasonal vegetable, not a common one, yet liked immensely whenever it was served by my mother. I can’t recollect ever eating it at any other home barring a Kayastha family. That is not to say others don’t make it, as my mother had to pre-book a supply whenever the vendor could get Kathal , otherwise he would runout almost the same day, indicating the popularity of it.

In the South India, Jackfruit is actually eaten raw as a fruit, but only when it has repined, whereas in the North India we eat it as a cooked vegetable and one has to pick the fruit when it is still green. It is rather a large fruit almost as big as medium sized pumpkin. What is surprising is that unlike pumpkin, it grows off a tree and hangs despite of its size and weight. It has a tough spiky skin, which is difficult to cut and peel off. We would invariably get it cut by the vendor himself, who had the large tough knife needed for larger vegetables.

I am sure Kathal is prepared in different styles but my mother’s recipe is dry and tangy in taste because she used a fair amount of tomatoes. She would serve it with pride along with other dried specialities like lamb chops. I can remember that it got its due and deserved share of praise.

I normally only put the recipes once I have made them and taken correct measurements of the ingredients. Unfortunately, Kathal is something not easily available in the UK so I can't take the pictures, but I have made this not so long ago (just before I started to take pictures!) so am reasonably confident the amounts are correct. I am adding this because someone has requested it. So here we go.....

Ingredients

• Kathal 250 gms
• 2 medium sized Onion
• ½ tin of chopped Tomato
• 1 tsf Salt
• ½ tsf Chilli powder (to taste)
• ½ - 1 tsf Garam Masala (to taste)
• 5 tbsf oil.

Method:

1. Cut the Kathal into approximately 2 inch pieces, keeping the seeds in each of the piece.
2. Shallow fry the Kathal and keep aside.
3. In the same wok while the oil is still hot add the chopped onions and fry till brown.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and fry till brown and oil separates.
5. Add salt, chilli powder and garam masala and fry for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add the fried Kathal mix well and cover the wok and cook on low heat for approximately, 20 minutes or till the Kathal is cooked.

It goes very well with Parathas!

Fish Curry in a Creamy Sauce

Sometimes even I get home sick and want to have something North Indian. I had bought this lovely  fillet of Hake and wanted to have it in a North Indian style. Now fish curries, not only my blog but a lot other sites, originate from the coastal areas of India. But I just wanted a change from the Goan, the Keralite or a Bengali style of cooking fish so I tried out this recipe. It is a trial and may not be to everyone’s taste, but I got the thumbs up from my wife. Well she is biased! All I can say is that we did finish the dish and I did see her taking second helpings.

Ingredients:

• 400 gms Fillet of a white fish cut in to small chunks
• ½ tsf Mustard seeds
  
• ½ Small Onion chopped
• ½ tsf Garlic paste
• ½ tsf Ginger paste
• 1 fresh Green Chilli sliced
• 3 tbsf Tomato puree
• 1 tsf Salt
• ½ tsf Cumin powder
• ¾ tsf Coriander powder
• ¼ tsf Chilli powder
• ½ tsf Garam masala
• 75 mls of Single cream
• 3 tbsf Oil 

Method:

1. Cut the fish fillet into small pieces.
2. In a pan heat the oil and add the mustard seed, they should start to sizzle.
3. Add chopped onion and fry to golden colour.
4. Add garlic and ginger paste and fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add tomato puree and fry till oil separates.
6. Now add all the spices and the slit green chilli and mix well for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add 100-150mls of water (amount depends on the thickness of the sauce). Bring it to a boil and cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the sauce shows oil on the top.
8. Add cream and mix well for 2-3 minutes.
9. Add the chunks of fish bring it to a boil then lower heat to low and cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Can garnish it with fresh coriander. 

Serve hot, goes well with rice or rotis. 

Asparagus and Mushrooms

When we were growing up in India, Asparagus is something we had only read in western novels as a vegetable eaten at the smart restaurants in Europe. Of course, now with Indian’s traveling widely, experimenting and experiencing all kinds of world food, one has started to see asparagus on the vegetable stalls in India. In fact even in the UK, it has only become a common sight on the dinning tables relatively recently. In the beginning it was seen in smart restaurants, then the TV chefs started showing off using all kinds of not so popular vegetables. However, now it is readily available almost all year round in the local supermarkets. 

It is one of those vegetables which I call delicate as it needs the briefest time to cook. Chinese and French in my experience do not over cook any of their foods and I believe they present the best way to cook asparagus.  This recipe is my own version. I have mixed some of the Indian spices to cook a combination of asparagus and mushrooms. It is quick and very tasty dish. Certainly worth trying!

 Ingredients:

• Asparagus spears 100 gms cut into 1 inch pieces
  
• Mushrooms 6 medium chopped
• 1/2 tsf Mustard seeds
• 1/2 inch Ginger sliced
• 1/2 tsf Salt (to taste)
• 1/8 tsf Chilli powder 
• 2 tbsf Oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a small wok or a frying pan.
2. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, which should start to sizzle straight away.
3. Add the sliced ginger and very lightly brown it (1-2 minutes only).
4. Add the chopped asparagus and sliced mushrooms and stir on medium heat.
5. Add salt and chilli powder. The asparagus and mushrooms gets cooked very quickly usually 5 minutes. The asparagus should still be crunchy.

Serve hot. I would suggest make this dish just before serving as reheating it overcooks the mushrooms and the asparagus and spoils it for me!

Left-over Vegetable Kofta Curry

(Vegetable balls in curry sauce)

When we were young I remember that often the day after a dinner party at our home our mother would make vegetable Kofta. These if my memory serves me right never tasted the same, which was a surprise to most of us. Whenever, people asked her which vegetables did she make the koftas with, she would never give a straight answer. It was not till we were much older that she disclosed to us that whatever, vegetables and dals were left over the night before, she would convert them into koftas, hence we started calling these ‘left-over kofta’. This was when we didn’t have any refrigerators and left over food was given away to poor people, you will note not all went to the poor in our house!

This particular recipe has been given to me by my sister. Of course, with the availability of refrigerators in India one doesn't need to make it from left overs. I have opted to use the left overs from the large pot of Cabbage and peas that I made and couldn’t possibly finish. These days we do have the refrigerators, but don’t have poor people asking for left overs in the UK!! So the choice is keep eating Bandh Gobi for several days or convert it into even better. I have used the left overs for my recipe as a mark of remembrance and tribute to my mother. She of course, would have really made it from left overs after a party, where as I would suggest that make the koftas for the party and have the Bandh Gobi a day before as a easy cooking day.

Ingredients:

(For the Koftas)

Fried Koftas

• 2 Cups of left over Bangh Gobi and Matar (Cabbage and Peas)
• 2 Medium sized Onions sliced
• 1 Cup Besan (Gram flour)
• 1/2 tsf Salt (to taste)
• 1/4 tsf Chilli Powder
• 1/2 tsf Garam Masala
• 1 Bunch chopped fresh Coriander
• 2 tbsf Oil
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

(for making Koftas)

1. In a pan heat the oil. Now add sliced onions and fry lightly.
2. Add Gram flour and slightly brown this too.
3. Add the left over Bandh Gobi, salt, chilli powder, and garam masala. Mix well.
4. Once the whole mix is slightly cooked usually 4-5 minutes add fresh coriander and mix well that as well.
5. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool just enough for you to be able to handle the mix with your hand. 
6. Using a bit of water to moisten your hand take small amount of the mix and make it into a ball (golf ball size). Use up all the mix making them into small balls.
7. Heat the oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot put few koftas to fry to a golden colour. Put aside. 

Ingredients:

(For gravy)

• 1 Medium sized Onion chopped finely

  

  Vegetable Kofta Curry

• 1/2 tin of chopped Tomatoes
• 1 tsf Garlic Paste
• 1 tsf Ginger Paste
• 1 tsf Salt
• 1/4 tsf Chilli Powder
• 1 tsf Jeera (Cumin) Powder
• 1 1/2 tsf Dhania (Coriander) Powder
• 1/2 tsf Garam Masala
• 1/2 Haldi (Turmeric) Powder
• 2 tbsf Yogurt
• 3 tbsf Oil

Method:

(for making Gravy)

1. Heat the oil in a pan with a lid.
2. Put the onions and fry till these are caramelized to a lightly golden colour.
3. Now add ginger and garlic paste and mix well for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes and fry these as well till you see the oil has separated.
5. Add rest of the spices and mix well. 
6. Add yogurt spoonful at a time, continuing to mix it with the masala.
7. Add 150 mls of water (or more if you like the gravy not to be thick) and mix well. Bring it to a boil and cover the pan then lower the heat and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Add the koftas in the gravy before serving. (It is a good idea to add koftas just before serving as they tend to soften if left in the gravy for too long! 

Now wait for the praises from your guests who would just guess what are the ingredients of the koftas. Of course some would give suggestions of their own!


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Bandh Gobi and Matar

(Cabbage and Peas)

Bandh Gobi often is seen as a ‘also ran’ vegetable, however, not only it is a very nutritious but an extremely tasty and versatile vegetable in my view. This, I hope to demonstrate in the next two entries. In North India we tend to see only one variety of Bandh Gobi, but in Britain we do see several, thanks I presume to the global vegetable and fruit travel! It is grown quite easily in the UK. The vegetable grower friends of mine tell me, not only do they love the Cabbage, but so do the slugs and other earthly creepy crawlies, so if you grow your own, you will need some slug repellants, I am not the best person for such advice as despite all my clever tricks most of my cabbage is eaten by the slugs . Bandh Gobi, looks like the leafy salad plants, but it is truly nearer to Broccoli and Cauliflower.  

The recipe for this dish is one of the quickies which could enter Jamie Oliver’s 15 minute cook book. For this particular dish I will use the whole cabbage, even though it may seem quite a lot. Don’t worry, as I intend to use the leftover for another recipe which will follow this one. Rest assured, you would be more than pleased with the second recipe, and  wonder ‘why cant we buy one and the second for half the price’ with everything else we cook. My mum would have said “you can” as she could convert virtually all left overs into something even better! I believe this was 1950’s austerity!!

Ingredients:

• One medium sized Bandh Gobi (cabbage)
  
• 200 gms frozen Peas
• 2 tsf whole Cumin seeds
• 1 Tej Patta (dried Bay leaf)
• 1/4 tsf Haldi powder (turmeric)
• 1/4 tsf Chilli powder
• 1 tsf Salt (to taste)
• 2 finely chopped green Chillis
• 1/2 tsf Sugar
• 1/2 tsf Garam Masala
• 5 tbsf Oil

Method:

1. Chop the cabbage finely into long shreds.
2. Defrost the peas by putting under running water.
3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium high flame.
4. When oil is hot put the cumin seeds and the Tej patta. Within a few seconds these will start to darken and splutter.
5. Put the shredded cabbage, peas and chopped green chilli and mix well.
6. Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Give it a good mix.
7. Cover the wok and lower the heat to low. Let the vegetable cook usually takes 5-10 minutes. In between stir so the vegetables don’t catch at the bottom.
8. Sprinkle garam masala and gently stir and mix. Can remove the Tej patta before serving.

Banarasi Sem Aloo

Potatoes mix well with almost anything, here I have mixed them with Beans, which seems to be one of the few vegetables in abundance these days at the local supermarkets. I am sure most of it has been imported from the warmer climates of the African continent. There are so many different ways one can make Sem Aloo, but this dish originates from Banaras. I suspects the Bihari version is not different. I use French beans for this dish but I guess one could use any other variety. It is slightly spicy and for a change I quite like it. They go very well with puris (deep fried bread).

Ingredients: 

• 200 gms French Beans cut to 1 cm length
• ½ tsf Fenugreek (Methi) seeds
• 2 medium sized Potatoes cut into small pieces
• 1 small Onion cut small pieces
• ½ tsf Garlic paste
• ¼ tsf Turmeric (Haldi) powder
• 1 tsf Salt (to taste)
• ½ tsf Coriander (Dhania) powder 
• ¼ tsf Cumin (Jeera) powder
• ¼ tsf chilli powder.
• ¼ tsf Garam Masala
• 3 tbsf Oil

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pan or wok.
2. When oil is hot put the Methi seeds and fry till they turn dark.
3. Add onion and garlic paste and fry till golden brown.
4. Add salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala and fry for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the potatoes, mix well with the masala and cook on low heat with the pan covered. From time to time stir so that potatoes don't catch at the bottom. 
6. When potatoes are half cooked usually 15-20 minutes, add the cut beans mixing well and once again cook with covered lid till potatoes are soft. 
7. dry off any excess fluids with the uncovered pan.

Methi Dal

Dal is eaten in every region of India. No meal is complete without Dal. It can also be presented as a snack and mixed with all kind of vegetables and meat to give that twist to the dish which only dal can give! Sambhar and Haleem, are just a couple of well known dal combination dishes, which are well known but there are dozens other dishes from all quarters of Indian and Sri Lanka. 

This particular method brings together a fabulous combination of Meethi leaves and Dal. As I have already said in my introduction to Mrs.M, like so many other dishes that she has taught me, this version of dal also originates from Bihar. In fact we introduced this dal recipe at the launch of Banao aur Khao  evenings in Cardiff. It went down wonderfully. I am sure many in our community in Cardiff have started to make this dish rather than just serving tarka dal. 

Ingredients:

• Washed Moong Dal 2 Cups
• Salt 1 ½ tsf
• Haldi ½ tsf
• Fresh Fenugreek (Methi) 1 bunch
• Onion 1 small
• Ginger 1 inch
• Garlic 2 cloves
• Dry whole chilli 3 long
• Oil for cooking                1 tbsf
• Jeera 1 tsf
• Hing 1 pinch
• Ghee or oil (for tarka) 2 tbsf

Preparation:

1. Wash the Dal
2. Put it in a saucepan with 5cups of water, 1 ½ tsf salt and  ½ tsf of Haldi. Bring it up to boil and then reduce the heat and cook for approximately 20mins. The dal should be almost ready.
3. While the Dal is cooking remove the meethi leaves from its stem.
4. Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger. 
5. Heat 1 tbsf oil in a frying pan and put the dried broken red chilli and stir it slightly.
6. Add the onion/garlic/ginger and brown this mix.
7. When the above mix is brown add Meethi leaves and cook for 5 mins.
8. Mix the Meethi mix in the almost fully cooked dal and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes
9. Make Tarka with Jeera, Hing and one whole dried red chilli. Brown the ingredients and when sizzling spread it on the Dal

The Dal is ready for serving.