Curried chataigne, a labour of love

THEY say that good things come to those who wait, and this cliché definitely holds true when it comes to some of our favourite dishes, and especially when it comes to curried chataigne! It is not without reason that chataigne is by far one of the most popular curried dishes to be served on special occasions. A relative of the breadfruit, the chataigne, or breadnut, is a bright green spiky fruit with large seeds which often makes an appearance at Divali time. Preparing the chataigne is a labour-intensive process which demands a significant investment of time and, if possible, quite a few hands to help out. That the chataigne is such a time-consuming product to prepare makes it even more satisfying to eat, and as with most things in life the anticipation increases the pleasure.

The chataigne is prepared by first cutting off the two ends — the stem and the base — of the spiky fruit. The fruit is then rinsed thoroughly under water and laid on its base on a chopping board or other steady surface. Using a sharp knife, the skin of the chataigne is peeled in a similar fashion to the way that a pineapple's skin is removed. This cutting will then reveal the prized seeds which you can see lodged in the spongy pale green flesh of the fruit. The fruit is then cut into large segments and the hard core of the fruit is removed and discarded. You must then use your fingers to remove the seeds from the flesh, all while cutting off and discarding any hard pieces that remain. The soft multi-layered flesh that surrounds the seeds, however, is kept and is pulled apart into single layers (similarly to pulling apart the layers of an onion). It is normally advised that your hands should be covered with oil before attempting to remove the seeds as the chataigne contains a white, milky liquid that may be difficult to remove from un-oiled fingers.

Now that the seeds have been separated from the fruit, the layers that surround the seed must be removed. To do this, a knife is used to pull the hard layer off, and then the soft layer which is stuck to the seed is scraped off. The now cleaned seeds and the soft layers of flesh that have been separated into single layers are what will be used to make the curried chataigne that is so well loved and is always looked forward to at Divali time with great anticipation!

Ingredients available at all Dollar Value Supermarket locations.

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Curried Chataigne

Recipe courtesy Annmarie Rambally of Annie's Culinary Cuisine Ltd.

Ingredients

1 medium chataigne, cleaned

For green seasoning:

6 cloves garlic

1 small bundle chadon beni/bandhania (12-15 leaves )

1 bundle chive (3 pieces)

5 sprigs fine thyme

½ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)

½ tsp whole geera (cumin)

¼ cup oil

A few carapulay leaves (curry leaves)

3 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp turmeric

1 cup water

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic

6 pimentos (chopped)

1 hot pepper

1½ packs coconut milk powder or milk of a whole fresh coconut

Salt, to taste

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried fine thyme

¼ cup chives, chopped (scallions)

Directions

Prepare dry green seasoning mixture by finely chopping chadon beni, garlic, chive, and fine thyme. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil. Add curry leaves, whole geera and fenugreek seeds and let toast a little, making sure not to burn.

Add chopped onions, garlic, pimento, hot pepper, and saffron powder and let sauté until onions are translucent. Add the curry mix and fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the water and dry green seasoning mixture and let cook on slow heat until the curry starts to stick or the mixture separates from the oil.

Add chataigne as well as the onion and garlic powders, and fine thyme. Let sit on a low fire in order to boujay (sauté and dry up). Add salt to taste.

Add coconut milk from one whole fresh coconut or 1½ packs of powder. Make sure it has enough liquid to cook until soft and mushy. Taste for salt and add more ground geera if desired.

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Kurhi/ Karhi

Recipe courtesy Annmarie Rambally of Annie's Culinary Cuisine Ltd.

Kurhi is another favourite at Divali time composed of fried balls of flavoured split pea dough (similar to pholourie) swimming in a savoury dhal "sauce". The ingredients used in the recipe have been divided into three distinct mixtures which will be used in the process of making the kurhi.

Ingredients

Green seasoning mix:

6 leaves chadon beni/ bandhania, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 blades chive, chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

1 cup split pea powder

3 cups water

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dried fine thyme

½ tsp black pepper

Boulders mix:

½ cup split pea powder

1 tbsp prepared green seasoning liquid mix

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp onion powder

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp dried fine thyme

¼ tsp black pepper

Salt, to taste

¼ cup warm water or enough to make a soft but firm dough and then add the water

Sautéed seasoning mix:

1 tbsp turmeric

1 onion, chopped very finely

2 blades chives, finely chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 grains garlic, finely chopped

5 red pimento, chopped

1 whole pepper (optional)

A few curry leaves

½ tsp whole geera

½ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)

2 tbsp oil

Directions

First, make the green seasoning mix by placing all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blending with a whisk. Set aside.

Now, make the boulders. Place the dried ingredients into a bowl and then add the warm water while mixing dough with your hands. Mix until you have a soft, yet firm dough. Set dough aside for half hour to rest.

After dough has finished resting. Form the dough into small balls (roughly the size of pholourie) and fry in hot oil until brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.

Heat oil and add the whole geera, fenugreek (methi) and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes. Add onions, pimento, turmeric, chives, fresh fine-leaf thyme, and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent.

Add the green seasoning mix to the sautéed aromatics and stir to combine. Lower the heat, add a hot pepper (if desired) and allow to cook for about half hour or until mixture has thickened. Remember to stir constantly to avoid lumps.

After mixture has thickened, add boulders, turn off heat, and allow to rest for about ten-15 minutes before adding salt. (Adding salt while the kurhi is still cooking will cause the mixture to curdle).

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Curried Pumpkin

Recipe courtesy Annmarie Rambally of Annie's Culinary Cuisine Ltd.

Ingredients

2 -3 lbs squash or regular pumpkin

1 tsp whole geera

1 tsp fenugreek

A few carapulay leaves (curry leaves)

6 cloves garlic

1 large onion

6 red pimentos

1 hot pepper (optional)

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp powdered geera

Salt, to taste

Directions

Wash, peel and cut the pumpkin into the desired size

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot, add whole geera, fenugreek and curry leaves. Let the seasoning brown a bit, but don't allow them to burn.

Add chopped onions, pimento, hot pepper and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent and add then the pumpkin.

Add salt to taste. Add brown sugar, onion and garlic powders, stir to incorporate and then cook uncovered while stirring frequently. When it’s soft mash the pumpkin with a potato masher or an immersion blender. Taste for salt add ground geera. Serve and enjoy!