Food talk
 Way to cook kathal

  The palate-tickling chatpata kathal can be prepared while holding back
 the scorching chillies, writes Pushpesh Pant

WE have always enjoyed kathal — not as a substitute for meat but in its own right. True, it is difficult to handle and deters one from embarking on experimentation with it and this too can’t be denied that it takes longer to cook than many other vegetables that lend themselves to stir-frying but then, don’t forget, the effort promises commensurate rewards.

Time we thought to go beyond the traditional kathal do pyaaza or the south Indian tariwala kathal and were pleasantly surprised when our wish was unexpectedly granted at a friend’s house recently. The hostess is partial to ‘delicacies’ piquant and pungent and had in store for us a version of jackfruit that seemed to vie with laal maans from Rajasthan in colour and shall we say flavour? That set us thinking.

Can this dish be prepared holding back the scorching chillies and still retain its palate-tickling appeal? We are glad to report that our tinkering in the kitchen has produced extremely satisfying results. We share the recipe without
any trepidation.

Chef’s corner

Ingredients

Kathal (skin removed and

cut in small pieces) 1 kg

Onions (sliced finely) 200 gm

Garlic paste 1 tsp

Ginger paste 1 tsp

Bay leaf one

Brown cardamoms two

Cinnamon stick 1 inch long

Coriander powder 3 tsp

Cumin powder 1½ tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Kashmiri or yellow chilli powder 1 tsp

Dried ginger powder 1 tsp

Amchur powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Peppercorn powder ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil to deep fry

Method
Wash, drain and pat dry the kathal. Heat oil in a karahi to smoking point. Reduce heat to medium and fry the kathal pieces till golden. Remove with slotted spoon and drain excess oil on kitchen towels. Reheat a little oil in another pan and put in the bay leaf and whole spices. When these change colour, add first the onions and after a minute the garlic and ginger pastes. Stir-fry till the onions are translucent. Now add powdered spices except the dried ginger powder and amchur dissolved in `BC cup of water. Stir briskly for 30 seconds then add the kathal. Sprinkle the amchur and dried ginger powder stir well to blend. Cover and cook on low medium heat for 30 minutes or till done to taste. You may have to occasionally sprinkle a few drops of water in between. The finished product is quite dry yet moist. The chatpatapan can be adjusted according one’s taste. The souring agent can be changed — a tbsp of limejuice is fine. If you can’t do without tomatoes these can be added — chopped fine or as puree after kathal has cooked for about 10 minutes. You may even sprinkle a little chat masala and garnish with slit green chillies. The possibilities are endless.





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