Jackfruit (Kathal in Hindi): A culinary adventure...

This was quite an adventurous weekend from a culinary perspective. My 10 year old asks his dad, "What is one of your favorite vegetables?" and dad's reply, "Jackfruit or popularly known as Kathal in Hindi." So we hunted it down and then began the process of actually cooking it. I have never cooked the vegetable/fruit in my life but loved eating it every single time in India so I tried to replicate it from memory. It was quite a tall order for me too. Lets say it took a few hours from start to finish and was fried so not one of my healthiest recipes. It will be interesting to see if there is any other way to cook it. I have experience only with the fried version.That said, it turned out exactly as I remember and was a huge success so well worth the hard work. It is also called the Vegetarians meat dish since it has quite a few similarities with goat curry.

Jackfruit cooked Curry style

History of Jackfruit: Jackfruit is native to South East Asia and is believed to have originated in the Western Ghats of India, present day Goa, Kerela and coastal Karnataka.

Description: It has a starchy and Fibrous texture and is a great source of easily digestible fiber. It is also a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin C. Jackfruit seeds are rich in protein and also has Vitamin B6, potassium, Calcium and Iron. It has a distinctive musky with a hint of sweet and fruity aroma. The only comparison I can make texture wise is with a pineapple.

Whole/halved, cut into pieces and frying

Fried

Ready to serve

This endeavor took about 4 hours and that's why you do not see a full recipe with it. Only seriously interested people will get the recipe emailed to them. 

Thanks a lot. 

10-minute Tuna Veggie Toss

Hope you are enjoying making these recipes. I have had a lot of fun creating them and for today's dish we have a low-carb, low-fat but rich in protein and nutients recipe. The kids ate Indian stuffed naans for dinner last night and I was in no mood for a carb-rich dinner. So once I had the kids in bed for the night I rummaged  through my fridge to look for what I could make for my own meal. I had been craving meat and veggies after all the vegetarian food I had been eating lately :). I also wanted to keep it low-carb since it was late in the day and I absolutely did NOT want another Salad...

Anyhow, I got Tuna steak from my freezer and found kale and green beans that were almost wilting so they needed to be cooked soon. Let me tell you that some of my best creations have been through these random cravings. Lets get this cooking. I was not planning to document this but I got a few pictures so you will get the picture of what I am talking about.

RECIPE: 10-minute Tuna Veggie Toss
Ingredients
Olive Oil Spray
4-5 Oz Tuna Steak, fresh or frozen cut into cubes chunks
1/2 Onion, chopped into big
1 Cup Kale, chopped
1 Cup Green beans, chopeed into 2" long segments
5-7 Garlic cloves, peeled 
1/4 Cup Marsala wine
Salt to taste
Red peper flakes (optional)
2 tsp Garam Masala, Roasted and ground (how I like it, from scratch)

Method

1. Spray the non stick pan with some Olive oil and throw in the whole garlic cloves. Keep it on hight heat and let them sizzle to a light brown. Add the Onion chunks and cook till caramalized, still on hight heat. Don't let it burn. This should take 3 minutes.
2. Add the marsala wine to get them all glazed and juicy. Reduce heat to medium and add the kale and greenbean. Saute for a couple of minutes till the kale wilts and the green beans are a little soft. I like to keep my veggies crunchy and bright colored. Overcooking not only loses the vibrant color but also depletes the flavor and nutrients.
3. Add the tuna and cook for a couple of minutes. Tuna does not take very long to cook. Overcooking will make it tough and chewy.
4.  Add salt, pepper flakes and garam masala. give it a good toss and there you have a perfect meal that is not a salad.

Onion and Garlic

Garam Masala, roasted and ground

This has been the best meal in a long time and totally hit the spot. Enjoy!!

Saag Paneer (Spinach with Paneer)

This Saag Paneer is unlike any that you have had in restaurants. The one that you eat in restaurants is laden with heavy cream and butter but this is super healthy with an aromatic and undiluted taste of fresh spinach. It is not only low-fat but rich in Iron and Protein. I have nothing against using cream for curries occasionally but for a home cooked, everyday meal I don't add cream or butter, like to keep it as natural as possible.

So to get that richness, I like to add Channa dal to it to get the creamy texture and additional protein to this dish. So its low in fat and tastes even better this way. This is how an authentic North Indian home cooked saag Paneer looks like.

Saag Paneer

RECIPE: Saag Paneer
Ingredients
20 Oz Baby Spinach
1 Cup Channa Dal
2 Large Tomatoes, chopped
1 Green Chilli (optional)
5-6 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1" piece of Ginger, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 Cups Water
12 Oz Paneer, low-fat (preferred)

To make Tarka (seasoning):
1 Tbsp Ghee (clarified butter or just plain butter)
1/2 Large Onion, chopped
1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds, roasted and powdered
1 tsp Coriander seeds, roasted and powdered
1/2 tsp paprika powder, for garnish

Method

1. Wash the Channa dal with plenty of running water and drain.
2. Chop the onions, tomatoes, green chilli, ginger and garlic coarsely. Does not have to be perfect since you will blend it all later.
3. In a pressure cook add dal, baby spinach, tomato, green chilli, garlic, ginger, salt to tatse and turmeric powder with 2 cups of water.
4. Pressure cook on high heat for 2 whistles and then lower the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the steam escape.
5. While that is cooking, lets chop up the ingredients for the tarka (seasoning) and have them all ready.
6. For Tarka: Roast the cumin and coriander, let cool and grind them in a coffee grinder. Set aside.
7. Chop the onions and garlic. Set aside
8. Heat a Tbsp of ghee in a big skillet or pan and add the onions and garlic to it. Let brown for about 10 minutes on medium heat.
9. Add all the spices and saute for about a minute.
10. Now to assemble it all together, open the pressure cooker and make sure the dal is cooked through. If not cook some more.
11. Now take a hand grinder and coarsely grind the spinach-dal mixture.
12. Now add the minced spinach-dal puree to the tarka and let it heat through. Check for seasoning.
13. Add paneer and let simmer for a few minutes till the mixture bubbles and the paneer is heated through. Garnish with a dollop of butter and paprika powder. Serve with Rice, roti or naan.

Step-by-step process,

Channa Dal

Wash the Channa dal with plenty of running water and drain.

Chop the onions, tomatoes, green chilli, ginger and garlic coarsely. Does not have to be perfect since you will blend it all later. In a pressure cook add dal, baby spinach, tomato, green chilli, garlic, ginger, salt to tatse and turmeric powder with 2 cups of water.

Pressure cook on high heat for 2 whistles and then lower the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the steam escape.

While that is cooking, lets chop up the ingredients for the tarka (seasoning) and have them all ready.

For Tarka: Roast the cumin and coriander, let cool and grind them in a coffee grinder. Set aside.

Tarka Ingredients

Chop the onions and garlic. Set aside. Heat a Tbsp of ghee in a big skillet or pan and add the onions and garlic to it. Let brown for about 10 minutes on medium heat.

Ghee or Clarified butter

Add all the spices and saute for about a minute. The aroma from the spices alone is worth the effort. This smells so awesome already. 

Now to assemble it all together, open the pressure cooker and make sure the dal is cooked through. If not cook some more. Take a hand grinder and coarsely grind the spinach-dal mixture.

Now add the minced spinach-dal puree to the tarka and let it heat through. Check for seasoning.

Add paneer and let simmer for a few minutes till the mixture bubbles and the paneer is heated through. Garnish with a dollop of butter and paprika powder. Serve with Rice, roti or naan.

I had forgotten how good it tastes and to my surprise my kids have been asking me to make it again after they polished it off the first time around (I wish I could show you their dinner plates from that night :). So please give it a try and hope you enjoy it as much as we did. 

Daal Amritsari

Daal Amritsari

This daal is made with Whole Black Urad Lentils and Red Kidney beans in a 1:2 ratio respectively (you can find them at whole foods or any ethnic store around you). You cook the daal separately in a pressure cooker or a pot of water. If you plan ahead you can even make this in crockpot. I am making it in a pressure cooker just because I didn't plan ahead and this is a quiker way of softening the lentils. After your Daal and beans are cooked you make a Tarka, a common word used in India cuisine to describe the word seasoning. This Daal needs to cook on low heat setting for hours to get the creamy and appealing color and taste.


My Menu for today is going to be Daal Amritsari, Malai Kebab and Rotis served with some fresh salad. This is going to take a while so lets begin.

RECIPE: Daal Amritsari
Ingredients
For the Daal
1 Cup Whole Black Urad Lentils
1/2 Cup Red Kidney Beans
salt to taste
1" Cinnamon stick
1 Star Anise


For the Tarka
1 Cup Onions, chopped
1 Roma Tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp Tomato paste, heaped


Daal Amritsari Spice Mix
Whole:
1 Dry Red chilli
2 Black Cardamoms
2-3 Green Cardamoms
1/2 Tbsp Cumin seeds
1/2 Tbsp Coriander seeds
5-6 Peppercorns
1 Bayleaf
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
2 Cloves
Powders:
1/4 tsp Mango powder (amchoor)
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Asfoedita (Hing)


For Granish
Dollop of butter
1-2 Tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped


Method

1. For the Daal: Wash the Urad lentils and Red Kidney beans. Add them to the pressure cooker with plenty of water. Add the minced ginger, garlic, salt, star ainse and cinnamon stick.
2. Let the pressure build up on hight heat and let the whistle blow 5-6 times. Lower the heat to low and let it ccook for an additional 15 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and let all the steam escape before you open it.
4. Open the lid and let it simmer on low heat.
5. For the Tarka: I like to make my own spicce mix by roastinn whole spices. In a small pan, on medium heat dry roast 1 Dry Red chilli, 2 Black Cardamoms, 2-3 Green Cardamoms, 1/2 Tbsp Cumin seeds, 1/2 Tbsp Coriander seeds, 5-6 Peppercorns, 1 Bayleaf, 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds, 2 Cloves. Make sure you stir it so it does not burn. You will smell the woody aroma once the spices are lightly roasted. Let them cool a little.
6. In a coffe grinder, add the roasted spices and the powders, 1/4 tsp Mango powder (amchoor), 1/8 tsp Nutmeg, 1/4 tsp Asfoedita (Hing).
7. Grind them till it makes a very fine powder.
8. Heat 1 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter) in a skillet and add onions to it. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes till they brow a little. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and the grinded spice mix. Lower the heat and cook for 15-20 minures till the oil separates from the mix.
9. Add it to the steamed daal and simmer for 4-5 hours. On a heat sourcce you have to keep stirring it every few minutes unlike in a crockpot.Adjust seasonig as needed.
10. Pour it  into the serving bowl and garnish with a dollop of butter in the center and Coriander leaves.

Step-by-step process,

Whole Black Urad and Red Kidney Beans

For the Daal: Wash the Urad lentils and Red Kidney beans. Add them to the pressure cooker with plenty of water. Add the minced ginger, garlic, salt, star ainse and cinnamon stick.

Let the pressure build up on hight heat and let the whistle blow 5-6 times. Lower the heat to low and let it ccook for an additional 15 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let all the steam escape before you open it. Open the lid and let it simmer on low heat.

For the Tarka: I like to make my own spicce mix by roastinn whole spices. In a small pan, on medium heat dry roast 1 Dry Red chilli, 2 Black Cardamoms, 2-3 Green Cardamoms, 1/2 Tbsp Cumin seeds, 1/2 Tbsp Coriander seeds, 5-6 Peppercorns, 1 Bayleaf, 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds, 2 Cloves. Make sure you stir it so it does not burn. You will smell the woody aroma once the spices are lightly roasted. Let them cool a little.

In a coffee grinder, add the roasted spices and the powders, 1/4 tsp Mango powder (amchoor), 1/8 tsp Nutmeg, 1/4 tsp Asfoedita (Hing). Grind them till it makes a very fine powder.

Heat 1 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter) in a skillet and add onions to it. Cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes till they brow a little. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste and the grinded spice mix. Lower the heat and cook for 15-20 minures till the oil separates from the mix.

Add it to the steamed daal and simmer for 4-5 hours. On a heat sourcce you have to keep stirring it every few minutes unlike in a crockpot.Adjust seasonig as needed.

Pour it  into the serving bowl and garnish with a dollop of butter in the center and Coriander leaves.