Kathal Bij Diye Chingri Maach

Most adults in my family, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, have very traditional favourites with just a few tweated items thrown in. Many of them like completely traditional dishes over innovative, because they do it specially well, their way in their homes.This dish is prepared by people of Moymenshingh, Bangladesh and my grand parents belonged there.This is how i remember my grand mother and later my mom making this dish.

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds(Kathal bichi),cut into pieces                                           1/2 cup

Fennel seeds(mouri)Paste                                                                      2 tbsp

Onion,Chopped                                                                                    1,large

Garlic(Rosun) Paste                                                                              2 tbsp

Prawns (chingri)                                                                                    250 grams

Salt                                                                                                       as per taste

Ginger paste                                                                                          1 tbsp

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder                                                                 1 tsp

Green Chilly,Slit                                                                                    4-5

Turmeric powder                                                                                  1tsp

Mustard oil                                                                                           3 tbsp

jackfruit seeds

Method :

Soak the jack fruit seeds in warm water and peel the covers.Then chop them into pieces lengthwise and steam lightly. It should not become mushy, so do be careful.

Clean, d'vein and wash the prawns. Smear salt and turmeric and keep aside.
Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a wok. First saute the Prawns lightly. Remove to a dish.

In the same oil add the onions cut lengthwise. Saute the onions well. Keep stirring.

D'veined ,cleaned Prawns

Then add the garlic paste.The garlic and fennel seed smell is very prominant in this dish.

Add 4-5 chillies. Saute.

Add the1 tbsp ginger paste, 1tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder,  jack fruit(kathal) seeds.

Also add a drop of water so that the spices do not get burnt . Add salt and the prawns.Cook stirring.

Add  some water to 2 tbsp fennel seed paste and add it to the dish.

This dish will be almost dry with little gravy. It contained lots of oil in the kitchens of the past but now we use oil in reduced quantities.

This dish is cooked by sauteing mainly on low-medium flame.

Vegetarians can make it without prawns.

Serve it with plain rice.


Kathal Bichi Bhape and Kathal Bichi Diye Cholar Dal are two other vegetarian recipes that you may like.