254) MOGGYA KOJAL

MOGGYA KOJAL

A SUPER DELICIOUS KONKANI CUCUMBER-JACKFRUIT SEED-DRUMSTICK CURRY

Ingredients:

     1)    Kerala curry cucumber (‘Moggé’ in Konkani, ‘Vellari’ in Malayalam) – 1 kg.

     2)    Jackfruit seeds – 30 Nos.

     3)    Drumsticks – 3 Nos.

     4)    Garlic – 1 pod

     5)    Medium sized coconut – 1 no.

     6)    Dry Kashmiri chilies – 10 Nos.

     7)    Dry hot red chilies – 5 Nos.

     8)    Tamarind – a small olive sized bit

     9)    Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon

     10)     Salt – 1½ teaspoons

To Cook:

          Remove the whitish nylon-like outer skin of the jackfruit seeds and carefully cut each seed lengthwise into 2 halves. Wash the drumsticks and cut into pieces of around 3 inches in length. Wash the curry cucumber and cut lengthwise into quarters. Cut off and discard the seed core. Cut each quarter into thick chunks (the size can vary).

          Do not peel the cucumber since the skin contains plenty of vitamins necessary for nourishing your skin. It is also very tasty and gives the curry the full flavor of the cucumber.

          Grate the coconut. Break both types of red chilies into halves (this is to prevent them from bursting when they hit the hot oil). Set a small pan on low heat. Pour in a teaspoon of coconut oil and throw in the chilies. Stir roast them for a minute and switch off the heat.

          Put the grated coconut, the roasted chilies and the tamarind into a food processor. Pour in a glass of water and grind to superfine paste (the smoother the paste, the tastier will be the curry). Separate the garlic cloves and crush lightly (this is to prevent them from bursting during the frying process and also to enhance the flavor).

          Put the cucumber pieces, the jackfruit seeds and the drumstick pieces into a curry vessel. Pour in enough water to immerse the vegetables fully. Tip in the salt and set on high heat. As soon as it starts to boil, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Let the veggies cook slowly. Five minutes later, open the lid and check to see if the vegetables are half cooked.

          You can ascertain this by pressing the jackfruit seeds (the hardest of the three) with the tip of a knife. If the seeds are somewhat soft, tip in the ground coconut paste and stir gently. If the curry is too thick, pour in a bit more water and bring it to a pourable consistency.

          Turn up the heat. Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Every few minutes, check to see if the vegetables are fully cooked. If done, taste and add more salt if required. Switch off the heat.

          Set a small pan on low heat. Pour in the rest of the coconut oil. Tip in the crushed garlic and stir till it turns fully brown. Switch off the heat and tip over the contents into the curry.

          Your ultra-delicious moggya kojal is ready to enjoy. Serve either hot or cold with a heap of soft parboiled rice or just sup it in a bowl. This is a must-be-tried recipe during the jackfruit season which will leave you craving for moggya kojal every day!

Enjoy!!!

Note:

          This is the standard taste. If you like your curry milder, either reduce the number of dry, hot red chilies or avoid them altogether. The traditional recipe does not contain any dry Kashmiri chilies but has more dry hot red chilies and is consequently hotter.