Kathal Bichi Pora
Sun-dried jackfruit seeds, roasted and mashed
- Cooking time30 mins
Calories79kcal
In this episode of Pasher Barir Ranna, Tapati Lahiri, whose family hails from erstwhile East Bengal (modern day Bangladesh), shows us a recipe with jackfruit seeds from her mother's side of the family. "Kathal bichi pora" in Bengali literally translates to charred jackfruit seeds.
In this recipe, sun-dried jackfruit seeds are dry-roasted in hot sand until they turn soft and sweet, as the starches break down into sugars. After the papery skin is taken off, the seeds are mashed with roasted red chillies, salt and some pungent mustard oil. If sand is hard to find you can use salt. It is also possible to dry roast the jackfruit seeds on a low flame in any thick bottomed pot, or in an oven.
Kathal or jackfruit season is a time for celebration for many Bengalis. My father, who can still eat an entire jackfruit by himself, has several jackfruit trees that he has nurtured from seeds collected over the years from fantastic jackfruits he has encountered. This time of the year — late summer, early monsoon — the jackfruits are dangerously ripe.
The air around the house is thick with the treacly sweet smell of the giant prickly fruit. Once a jackfruit is picked, the sack is pried open like a purse. The edible fruits that are embedded in a fibrous padding are taken out and placed in a bowl. Every time you eat one blob, you deposit the seed in a separate bowl that is reserved for the purpose. These seeds are eventually washed well, then dried carefully in the fickle monsoon sun. Once dry, they are stored in airtight containers at room temperature. They need to be put out in the sun every few weeks to prevent moulds from developing.
This recipe is simple and satisfying, a great appetiser to tantalise the palate at the start of a meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients
- 150 g sun-dried jackfruit seeds (roasted and peeled; weight before roasting =185 g)
- 5 dried red chillies (roasted)
- 4 g salt
- 15 g mustard oil
- 1 green chilli
Method
- Dry-roast the sun-dried jackfruit seeds, either over sand or in an open wok, until the outer papery later peels off easily.
- In the same heated-up wok, also roast dried red chillies until crisp.
- Mash the jackfruit seeds making sure to not make them too pasty (a little grain is good for texture).
- When the jackfruit seeds have adequately been mashed, mash in the dried red chillies and salt.
- Finish with mustard oil and chopped green chillies.
- Serve as the first course during lunch, with some warm rice (we've served it with Kataribhog).
