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Everybody knows that a Korma or Kurma is a dish of royal proportions and can turn any meal into a feast. Introduced to the Indian subcontinent by the Mughals, Korma was usually prepared in three predominant styles—Delhi-Agra, Kashmiri and Hyderabadi—using meats like mutton and chicken. But did you know that there is a brilliant vegetarian version of the Korma that can easily give Mutton Korma and Chicken Korma a run for their money? We are talking here about Kanthal Korma.
To be fair, the exact origins of who innovated Korma prepared with young, raw jackfruit in the Indian subcontinent is unknown. It is highly likely, as with most vegetarian twists on traditionally non-vegetarian dishes, that a cook or chef looked at the meaty texture and taste of jackfruit and wondered if a Kanthal Korma can be prepared to resemble Mutton Korma. Most recipes for Kanthal Korma also suggest that the style adhered to here is basically from Delhi—meaning that the dish is cooked with yoghurt, cashews, almonds and cream.
And yet, there is reason to believe that there are some regions that eat more of Kathal Korma than others. While Kathal Korma emerged as a Korma option for vegetarians, people across Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh eat this dish whenever jackfruit is in season irrespective of whether they are vegetarian or not. In most Bengali households, for example, Kathal Korma is known as Echorer Korma and cooked on festive occasions for vegetarian feasts! This also proves that making Kathal Korma at home isn’t that difficult if you know the right recipe.
The trick to nailing a Delhi-style Kathal Korma lies in the making of the gravy. As mentioned before, adding yoghurt and cashew paste is a must, but so is cooking them properly until the two turn a rich brown colour and release their oils. Another trick behind making a rich and indulgent Kathal Korma is making the birista. Birista, for those who don’t know, is basically fried onions that are golden brown and added to make Biryanis and Kormas delightfully rich. The recipe for Kathal Korma below keeps all these pointers in mind and is the best way for you to prepare Kathal Korma with ease at home. Check it out now.
Image used for representative purpose only. Image courtesy: archanaskitchen.com
Ingredients:
500 g jackfruit, cleaned and cut
3 large onions, sliced
¾ cup yoghurt
2 bay leaves
1 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
3-5 black peppercorns
½ tsp shahi jeera
¼ tsp mace
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
2 tbsp cashew paste
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp ghee
3 tbsp oil
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp fresh cream (optional)
1 tbsp almond slivers, for garnish
Method:
1. Place the washed and cleaned jackfruit pieces in a large bowl.
2. Add a tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and salt, mix well and let the jackfruit rest for half an hour.
3. Heat the oil and ghee in a large wok.
4. Add the onion slices and fry them until they turn golden brown. This is called the birista. Remove the birista and set aside for later.
5. In the remaining ghee-oil mix, add the bay leaves. Black cardamom, green cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, shahi jeera and let them splutter.
6. Once they stop spluttering, add the marinated jackfruit pieces and mix well.
7. Fry the jackfruit for 5-10 minutes, then add the remaining ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, red chilli powder, nutmeg powder and mace.
8. Mix well and cover to cook the jackfruit until it is almost cooked.
9. Now add the fried onions, yoghurt and cashew paste, and mix well.
10. Continue cooking while stirring occasionally until the yoghurt and cashew paste are cooked and the oil is released from the gravy.
11. Now add the sugar and adjust the salt and add some fresh cream if needed.
12. Serve the Kathal Korma hot with a garnish of almond slivers on top.
