Mangalorean curry (with jackfruit seeds)
This is another traditional recipe of Mangalore, which is famously known around India as Mangalorean style curry (In konkani we call this 'humman' ). The gravy has the least number of ingredients and you can adjust the spiciness based on the dry chillies you add. Make sure that you use Bedgi(or Kashmiri) and usual spicy(Guntur) chillies in equal amounts. Bedgi chillies give the gravy a rich red colour while the Guntur chillies give the much needed spice and heat to the gravy.
Since I do not like my food spicy, I omit Guntur chillies, that way the gravy has a rich red colour, but no heat. Though this is the base for a traditional fish and prawn curry, there are a variety of vegetarian alternatives like potatoes, peas and jackfruit seeds.
In any restaurants that serve Mangalorean food, Neer dosa and fish curry tops the list and you will soon find how easy it is to make this curry :) If you want to make a fish or prawn curry, clean it thoroughly and add to the gravy at the last minute. Since the meat hardly needs any cooking, add it at the very end when the gravy comes to a boil and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes.
What you’ll need:
1 cup grated coconut
10-15 peeled jackfruit seeds
2 Bedgi whole dry chillies and 2 Guntur chillies roasted in 3 drops of coconut oil (for a minute on medium flame)
Marble sized tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp asafoetida
2 tbsp coconut oil (do not use the usual cooking oil if you want the authentic taste)
How to:
Peel the jackfruit seeds and boil them in around 3 cups of water (see here for more details) with a pinch of salt
Grind together the coconut, red chillies and soaked tamarind(along with water used to soak) to a smooth paste.
In a sauce pan, add the ground paste, salt as per taste and let it heat on medium flame. Add the boiled jackfruit seeds (discard the water used to boil them) and let the gravy come to a boil. As soon as the raw smell goes off (takes another 2-3 minutes) turn off the heat and add asafoetida and drizzle with coconut oil.
Cover the sauce pan with a lid and allow it to stand for at-least an hour before serving. Usually the curry is cooked in the night and allowed to rest to be had next day.
