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Echorer dalna
Young jackfruit curry
এঁচোড়ের ডালনা · young green jackfruit curry, Bengal's 'tree mutton'
In early summer, Kolkata's bazaars sell baby green jackfruit (echor), and Bengali households cook it into a dalna rich enough to be called gachh-patha, 'mutton from the tree'. The jackfruit is boiled, fried with potato and simmered in a ginger, cumin and tomato gravy, finished with ghee and garam masala. Its chewy, meaty texture soaks up the spice. It is a Sunday lunch dish, eaten with rice or luchi. Chef's tip: buy jackfruit no longer than your forearm, with pale seeds; older fruit is fibrous and the seeds are hard.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb young green jackfruitor 2 × 400 g tins in brine, drained
- 1 tbsp oilfor your hands and knife
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 medium potatoesquartered
- 4 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick
- 3 cloves
- 1 medium onionfinely chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp ginger paste
- 1 large tomatograted
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 ½ cups hot water
- 1 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp garam masala
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 1 tbsp oil on your hands and knife. Peel 1 ½ lb young green jackfruit, cut it into 4 cm chunks with the soft core and seeds, and drop into water. (If tinned, just rinse and skip the next boil.)
20 minStep 2: Boil the chunks with half the 1 tsp ground turmeric and ½ tsp of the 1 ½ tsp salt for 12–15 minutes until a knife goes in easily. Drain well.
15 minStep 3: Heat 4 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy kadai over a high heat until it smokes, then lower to medium. Fry 2 medium potatoes for 5 minutes until golden; lift out. Fry the jackfruit for 6–7 minutes until browned in patches; lift out. This frying is what gives the 'meaty' taste.
12 minStep 4: Add 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 3 green cardamom, 1 ⅛ in cinnamon stick and 3 cloves; when they sizzle and smell warm, add 1 medium onion and fry for 6 minutes until golden.
6 minStep 5: Add 1 ½ tbsp ginger paste, 1 large tomato, the rest of the turmeric, 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, 1 ½ tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp sugar and the rest of the salt. Cook for 6 minutes, splashing in water if it sticks, until the masala is glossy and oil separates. Common mistake: hurrying this koshano stage; the gravy then tastes flat.
6 minStep 6: Return the jackfruit and potato, stir to coat and pour in 1 ½ cups hot water. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 12 minutes until the potato is soft and the gravy coats the pieces.
12 minStep 7: Stir in 1 tbsp ghee and ½ tsp garam masala, cover and rest 5 minutes. Serve with rice or luchi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does echorer dalna take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ground turmeric?
- Leave it out (it mostly adds colour).
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
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