Enchorer Torkari Recipe (Bengali Style Jackfruit Curry)
Enchorer Torkari is a delicious Bengali Style Jackfruit curry which is best served with Steamed rice.
In Bengali the young jackfruit is called 'Enchor'. It has a subtle flavour and meat-like texture, because of that Bengalis call it 'Gach PaNtha' (fake or faux meat). Curries, chops, koftas are prepared from unripe jackfruit.
Peeling and cutting this huge vegetable is a time consuming task. Moreover the sticky sap of jackfruit makes it more tedious and difficult. During my stay in the US we used to get canned young jackfruit, those are peeled and cubed, so no trouble on that part. Though the brine solution to preserve the vegetable makes it taste a bit sour. And of course a fresh vegetable will taste much better than a canned one.
I have used both canned and fresh young jackfruit to make the curry depending whichever available, a typical Bengali Enchorer Torkari, following my mom-in-law's recipe.
Serve Enchorer Torkari along with Bengali Style Lau Die Tetor Dal and Bengali Luchi for a weekday meal.
If you like this recipe, you can also try other Bengali recipes such as
45 M
30 M
75 M
2-3 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups Jackfruit (Kathal) , unripe or young (cut into cubes)
- 1 Potato (aloo) , cubed
- 1/2 cup Onions , finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic , minced
- 1/2 tablespoon Ginger , paste
- 1 Tomato
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder , adjustable
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
- 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Cardamom (Pods /Seeds)
- 3 Cloves
- 1 Bay leaf (tej patta)
- 4 Green Chillies , adjustable
- Mustard oil , as required to cook
- Salt , to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sugar , + to taste
- 1 teaspoon Ghee , adjustable
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
Directions for Enchorer Torkari Recipe (Bengali Style Jackfruit Curry)
To begin making the Enchorer Torkari recipe, lets first take the jackfruit.
If you are using canned jackfruit, then drain all the brine water and put the jackfruit pieces in a bowl full of water. After 20-30 minutes take out the jackfruit and again put them in some fresh water.
Do this at least 3 times. Take a large pan or pressure cooker boil enough water to cover all the jackfruit pieces. As the water boils add the jackfruits. Cover and boil for 5-6 minutes.
If using a pressure cooker, put the lid and wait till the pressure cooker makes a hissing sound, switch off heat and wait till the pressure releases. Drain all the water. These steps will make sure the canned jackfruit does not taste sour.
If you are using fresh jackfruit, then first peel the vegetable and cut into cubes. Make sure to put plenty of oil to the knife and in your hand, jackfruit is very sticky.
In a large bowl take water and add turmeric powder in it, dip the jackfruit pieces in it. This will help to get rid of the sticky sap. Pressure cook or boil the jackfruit pieces to half done, drain water.
Peel and wash potatoes, pat dry. Heat mustard oil (it compulsory to use mustard oil to get the original taste and flavor) in a deep pan.
When the oil is smoking hot, fry the potato cubes till golden brown. Take out the potato pieces with a slotted spoon. Fry the jackfruit pieces the same way and keep aside.
In the same oil add bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves. Cook for about a minute.
Add the minced garlic, cook over medium heat for 1 min or till the garlic starts to change colour.
Add a teaspoon of sugar, mix well. Add onion, cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and cook till the onions take a nice red-brown colour.
Add ginger paste (preferably freshly made). Cook for 1-2 min or till the raw smell of ginger is gone. Add chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle little salt, cover and cook till the tomatoes are done.
Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, green chilies (chopped or whole), add a little water, mix well. As the mixture starts to release oil, add the fried potato and jackfruit, mix well.
Add enough hot water to cover the vegetables, let the water boil, add salt, cover and cook till the vegetables are done. This dish will have a thick gravy.
Add sugar, ghee and garam masala powder, mix well. Switch off heat, cover the pan and let it rest for sometime and serve hot.
Serve Enchorer Torkari along with Bengali Style Lau Die Tetor Dal and Bengali Luchi for a weekday meal.
Enchorer Torkari Recipe (Bengali Style Jackfruit Curry) is part of the Mother's Day Recipe Contest 2017
Chitrangada Kundu
A food blogger and self taught food photographer from Kolkata, India. My love for food turned me into a passionate cook, who loves to experiment with different kind of cuisine around the world.
