ECHORER KALIA

I was all set to blog about a Garbanzo Beans & Minced Meat dish today. Then a death news jeopardised all my plan, I felt let me not do a non-vegetarian share today, let me pay homage to the departed soul of an aunty like with a vegetarian dish. I do not know if I can call this vegetarian side dish with raw jackfruit, good amount of spices, cashew nuts, raisins authentic Bengali or not. But yes, this "kalia" kind of curries indeed was made in our families with big sized Bengal Carp varieties occasionally, even earlier in the grandparent's home. I live it to the more learned to decide, let me share this Bengali Vegetarian Side recipe with raw jackfruit & dry fruits ECHORER KALIA; worthy of doing on an all vegetarian day and serve either with a pulao or fried rice as you see in the pictures or with any variety of hand made bread. It even may go with toasted breads. Some may remember it was a part of my tribute to our father's third death anniversary who was 74 at the time of his death.

About the person who left the world for the heavenly abode, we have a thin thread like childhood connection; I came to know about it only when her elder daughter got married to my man's higher secondary school's friend. Both her daughters stay abroad; the elder one in the Sugar Land area and the younger one in Canada. The elderly couple lived in Kolkata. The worst I felt is that the day before was her elder daughter's birthday, they might had a talk over phone. Even though we know such news are inevitable when our parents age, we are never prepared for it. There are birthdays, anniversaries around but this death had to have a mention.

Her elder daughter, who also happens to be our sister like had been helping my man all this while with valuable informations; where to buy stuffs from, what are the necessary buys for a hostel life, etc. Although we got a list from the university, where to get them at the right price was very necessary for my man to know. She called us, offered help and with her suggestions; they bought the stuffs. This was a big help in a land about which we do not know much; I am more concerned about it's ferocious winter, how the son would cope up with it. To pay a tribute to the girls' mother's departed soul, I could not have possibly gone ahead with a non-vegetarian share. Okay, we do have fish whilst we mourn but I preferred to share a Bengali Vegetarian Side dish with young jackfruit ECHORER KALIA today in the blog. If you skip adding the ghee, it becomes gluten-free. If you skip adding the ghee and yogurt, it becomes vegan, I guess. If served with rice dishes, my men would need a deep fried fish piece or tandoori chicken beside it; if served with naan or kulcha or porota; they can settle for a vegetarian meal one evening!

INGREDIENTS :

RAW / YOUNG JACKFRUIT : A STANDARD SIZED
CASHEW NUT : 8-10 HALVED
RAISIN : 10-15
PLAIN YOGURT : 1 SMALL TEA CUP
CHOPPED TOMATO : 1 MEDIUM SIZED TEA CUP
SLICED ONION : 1 MEDIUM TEA CUP
GINGER PASTE : 2TBSP
GARLIC PASTE : 2 TSP
CUMIN POWDER : 2 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER : 1 TSP
RED CHILLI POWDER : 2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP
CINNAMON POWDER : 1/2 TSP
GREEN CARDAMOM POWDER : 1/2 TSP
CLOVE POWDER : 3-4 PINCH
CINNAMON STICK : 1 INCH SIZED THREE
GREEN CARDAMOM : 2-3
CLOVE : 3-4
BAY LEAF : 1
CUMIN SEED : 1/4 TSP
SALT : AS REQUIRED
SUGAR : 1TSP+1TSP
GHEE / CLARIFIED BUTTER : 1 TBSP
OIL : 4-5 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

If we are buying a whole raw jackfruit, de-skinning is really an ordeal because it's skin is very thick and hard. I usually buy skinless, fresh raw jackfruit we get in the wet market here. On that particular day, I got a whole one. You can see how tough it was for our help to get rid of the skin with a knife; we cannot use "boti."

In most places these days, they cut of the skin for you and sell. I suggest you to get that and then dress.

After cutting off the skin, we had cut it into 4 pieces.

We had then cut off the very hard, inedible mid-section from each piece.

We had to cut them into smaller cubes then. If there are a bit matured seeds; we need to take out each seed and throw off the thin, yellow coverage. But this jackfruit was too young.

You can see, we had taken the pieces in a water filled bowl, washed them and again filled it with water. We had covered and kept soaked for few hours.

We had added some salt and turmeric to the water filled bowl and put it for boil at low heat, covered 80%.

When they boiled 70% to 75%, we took them on a strainer / colander.

We had let the boiled jackfruit pieces to cool. Meanwhile we had washed the chopped tomatoes and sliced onions. 

We had taken together the ginger+garlic pastes, cumin+coriander+red chilli+turmeric powders+salt in a bowl. We added 2 tbsp of water and mixed together to get a paste.

We had beaten the plain yogurt and sugar together. We had halved the cashew nuts and washed them. We had also washed and soaked the raisins.

We had heated the oil in a wok and tempered it with cumin seeds, bay leaf, green cardamom seeds, cinnamon sticks and cloves.

We had added the sliced onions now.

We fried them at low heat until golden brown and added the cashew nuts.

We had then added the spice paste and chopped tomatoes and kept stir frying for 4-5 minutes at very low heat.

Thereafter, we added the beaten yogurt and stir cooked at low heat for a minute or two.

Then we had added the boiled pieces of raw jackfruit and folded in well. We stir cooked it for 5-6 minutes.

Thereafter, we had added 2 coffee mugs of water and cover cooked it for 7-8 minutes at low heat.

Then we had removed the cover and added the raisins, 1tsp sugar, cinnamon+cardamom+cloves powders. 

We gave a stir and allowed the curry to boil for 5-6 minutes more. Its done. 

We had  added the clarified butter / ghee, and transferred it to a serving bowl.

We can serve it hot with rice and bread varieties.