Young Jackfruit Korma | Enchor er Korma | Kathal Korma
This Enchor er Korma recipe is a delicious and mildly spicy curry recipe that goes amazingly well with Indian breads like Chapatti, Naans, as well as, rice dishes like Jeera Rice, Peas Pulao, etc. Once you try this young jackfruit curry recipe, there’s no going back! Known as kathal in India, this unripened jackfruit recipe can give many meat based recipes a run for the money.
In this post, I will introduce you to the superfood known as young Jackfruit which has become quite a sensation worldwide these days!
Also, I will tell you how to know which jackfruit is for cooking and which one is to eaten as a fruit. Also, we will learn how to prepare jackfruit for korma like curry recipes.
What is a Jackfruit? And, how to eat a Jackfruit?
Simply put, it is a variety of fruit which is found in some of the south-east Asian countries, especially India, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. Jackfruit trees are usually huge and they can bear hundreds of these fruits of various sizes. The bigger ones can go upto 55 kilos or 120 pounds.
Did you know that we, Bengalis often call young Jackfruit aka Enchor as ‘Gaach Pantha‘, where ‘gaach‘ means plant and ‘pantha‘ means meat.
While they are young and unripened, jackfruits are prised open and the tendrils as well as the arils along with the seeds are cooked in various forms. A young Jackfruit is known as Enchor in Bengali. Kanthal is the ripened one.
As they ripen, it becomes a fruit and the arils and the seeds become the edible part of the fruit. Not everybody is a big fan of this fruit. For some (including me), its fruity smell can be a bit overpowering.
Now, as the world is flooded with a wave of plant based nutrition, jackfruit has gained a sudden infamy due to its fleshy and meat like texture, which is a nutrient powerhouse. It is a rich source of Vitamin B6, and a fair amount of Vitamin C and Potassium. It is a good source of dietary fibre as well.
How to prepare Jackfruit for curry recipes?
As I told you before, the unripened young jackfruit is ideally used for cooking curry like recipes. Ask your grocer to prise it open for you and get rid of the pointy rind. Jackfruit yields a sticky gum-like substance when cut, so apply some oil on your palms first before handling one (if you have to!).
The inner flesh is completely edible if the jackfruit is particularly young. Cut it into uniform cubes and wash it well in water. In you have a Pressure Cooker (or Instant Pot), simply pressure cook the young jackfruit pieces in water and some salt for couple of minutes, say 5-6 minutes of high pressure.
Then allow the Pressure Cooker to release the pressure on its own and cool down a bit before opening. Discard the water and use the young jackfruit cubes in your recipe.
In India, particularly in Bengal, we get enchor as small as one that would fit our palms. Those are particularly tender and absolutely delicious. They do not need this extra preparation step of pressure cooking. They can be directly used in the curry preparation as the jackfruit meat is already quite soft and tender on its own.
This enchor er korma (kathal korma or jackfruit curry) is a dry preparation. But you may adjust the consistency of the gravy as per your needs. Simple add more water to make it more juicy to serve along with rice dishes.
Young Jackfruit Korma | Enchor er Korma | Kathal Korma
This Enchor er Korma recipe is a delicious and mildly spicy curry recipe that goes amazingly well with Indian breads like Chapatti, Naans, as well as, rice dishes like Jeera Rice, Peas Pulao, etc. Once you try this young jackfruit curry recipe, there's no going back! Known as kathal in India, this unripened jackfruit recipe can give many meat based recipes a run for the money.
- 3 cups Kathal around 300 gms
- 1 Onion sliced
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 inch Ginger
- 4 Garlic cloves
- 1 Bay leaf
- Salt
- 2 tbsp Mustard Oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- Coriander leaves to garnish
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Pre-cook the young jackfruit pieces in a pressure cooker with water and salt. Discard the water and keep the pieces aside.
For detailed instructions, read the article body above.
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Now, heat the oil in a non-stick pan, preferably kadhai.
If you do not wish to use Mustard Oil, you may use equal amount of refined Sunflower Oil/Rice Bran Oil/Light Olive Oil/Ghee or Clarified Butter/Butter.
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Add the Bay leaf and let it sizzle for couple of seconds.
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Then add the sliced Onion and let it saute for a couple of minuted till it softens a bit.
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Meanwhile, make a puree of the tomatoes, garlic and ginger. Once the onions seems to have cooked partially, pour the pureed tomato mix in it.
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Add the powdered spices in it along with salt and ketchup and fry it till you see oil separation at the edges.
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Now, add around ½ cup water and the jackfruit pieces and give everything a mix. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
You will see that the water has reduced a bit and the jackfruit pieces have mixed well with the gravy.
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Before serving drizzle some Ghee and sprinkle some freshly chopped Coriander leaves.
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