Of all my mother’s cooking, this is one of my favourite vegetarian dish. An heirloom recipe, the raw jackfruit yoghurt curry has been carefully handed down the generations in a typical Bengali family. My mother has two versions, one the traditional version as I have provided in my recipe and an alternate version with shrimps. Both versions taste equally good. The unique feature of the jackfruit is that when it is cooked in a curry style, it tastes almost like meat. This curry is best served with rice at lunchtime. The golden hue, the aroma of the ghee and garam masala along with the flavour of yoghurt combine to make this a mouth – watering affair to remember and repeat. So do try out this unique and traditional dish. You will not be disappointed. Happy fooding around!

Raw Jackfruit Yoghurt Curry (Doi Echor)

Author: Reetika Mitra
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

Description

Just Like Ma’s Cooking

Scale

Ingredients

1 Echor or Kathal (Raw Jackfruit), 1 Kg approximately in size
2 or 3 potatoes, cut into 1inch cubes
2 big or 3 medium onions sliced
3 – 4 Tbsp vegetable Oil
2 1/2 cups Water
200 gms curd
1 heaped Tsp whole Jeera, for grinding
1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1/2 Tsp Red Chilli powder
1 Tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
1 – 2 Tsp Ghee
3 – 4 green Chilies, slit

Ingredients For Tempering:

1 or 2 Bay leaves
2 dry Red Chilies whole
4 – 5 Cardamom
2 Cinnamon 1inch sticks
3 Cloves
3/4 Tsp whole Jeera for Tempering

Instructions

Take the whole jackfruit cut into four quarters. De-skin or slice off the skin of each of the quarters till no green of the skin is visible. You are left with only the white meaty part of the raw jackfruit. Cube the Echor or Kathal into 1 inch cubes.
Next light steam the jackfruit cubes in a pan for 4 or 5 mins with a pinch of turmeric and a little salt.
In a grinder wet grind the whole jeera and chopped ginger into a liquidy paste. If you want, you may add a little more water to make the consistency more runny. This helps me in getting out all of the grinded mixture easily and comfortably from the grinder.
In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 or 2 Tbsp of the oil. Over high flame fry the potatoes to a light golden brown colour. The idea is not to get the potatoes cooked, but just a light change in their colour. Take out and drain the potatoes.
Over a high flame heat the remaining oil left in the pan. You may add one more tbsp of oil if you think you require. Let the oil start smoking, reduce the flame to a medium and add all the ingredients for tempering. Stir a bit till a fragrance comes out.
Add the sliced onion to it. Keep stirring till the onions are light brown in colour, keeping the heat medium – low. Now add the watery ginger – jeera paste stir for a bit before adding the cubed echor/kathal and the potatoes. Keep stirring for another 3 -4 minutes. Make sure the masalas doesn’t start getting burnt and start sticking to the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle a little water from the top if needed.
Add the red chilli powder. Stir a bit and pour water to the jackfruit, add salt. Cover and cook for 15 mins or so.
Once the echor is cooked, add beaten curd to it. Next add the sugar, slit green chillies, ghee. Serve hot best teamed with rice, but my son loves it along with his regular home-made rotis.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 5

Raw Jackfruit Yoghurt Curry (Doi Echor)