Kathal ki Sabji
Got raw jackfruit (kathal) at home, and want to make a different kind of sabzi with it? Here’s a recipe, just for you. This is a simple, easy-peasy, yet equally delicious Kathal Ki Sabji made with an earthy green masala paste and curd, in a pressure cooker. Since it is made in the pressure cooker, there’s less of hassle too while preparing this kathal dish. This dish is so good in flavors and textures, that even the non-vegetarians will stick to it, once they try it. So, what are you waiting for? Just go for it.
The sabzi is flavorful and has a nice taste and meaty texture of the cooked kathal. For those who do not know – kathal is the Hindi name for raw unripe jackfruit.
Along with mangoes and some berries, jackfruit is also an Indian summer fruit. While we eat ripe jackfruit just plain, with unripe jackfruit I make a few recipes like kathal pulao, Kathal Biryani, Kathal Curry and Jackfruit Payasam.
This is a North Indian style kathal ki sabji and the recipe comes from my mom. This is not a dry sabji. There is some gravy in the sabji but not too much.
Also, there is a slight sourness in the sabji due to the addition of curd. This slight sourness tastes good and accompanies the kathal’s taste and texture very well.
One of the special elements of this semi-dryish kathal ki sabzi is the ground green masala paste that goes in it. This masala paste is made with fresh coriander leaves, fresh mint leaves, ginger, garlic and green chilies. So, it basically imparts refreshing, zingy and earthy notes in this dish.
Buying a whole jackfruit from the market, then peeling and then cutting it is a task. So I ask the vegetable vendor to peel the kathal for me. You can also do the same.
The kathal sabji tastes good with some chapatis or phulkas.
How to make Kathal ki Sabji
1. Spread some oil on your palms, knife and chopping board. Rinse the peeled jackfruit. Then chop the jackfruit.
Generally, I get the peel removed from the vegetable vendor. In case the peel is not removed, then you will have to slice off the peels. if using chopped jackfruit already brought from outside, then rinse them in water first. Soak the chopped jackfruit pieces in water, so that they do not get discoloured.
You will need 3 cups of chopped kathal. You can keep aside the jackfruit seeds and then make a sabji with them or add to sambar or veggie stir fries. If adding to stir-fries the seeds have to be boiled or steamed before you add them.
B) making green masala paste
2. In a small blender or grinder jar, take ¼ cup coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons mint leaves, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 to 2 green chilies (chopped).
3. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and grind or blend to a smooth paste.
Making kathal ki sabji
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker. Add 1 teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds, 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 tej patta, 3 green cardamoms, 1 star anise and 4 to 5 black peppers.
5. Let the spices splutter and become aromatic.
6. Then add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
7. Mix the onions with the spices and sauté on a medium heat stirring often.
8. Sauté onions till they turn golden.
9. Then add the ground green masala paste.
10. Mix very well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes till you see some specks of oil at the sides or on top.
11. Now add ⅓ cup of chopped tomatoes.
12. Stir and mix well.
13. Add the following ground spices:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilly powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
14. Mix again and begin to sauté tomatoes on a low to medium heat. Stir often.
15. Meanwhile in a bowl beat ¼ cup fresh curd (yogurt). The curd should be fresh and not sour.
16. Sauté the masala till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. If the masala mixture starts sticking to the bottom of the cooker, then sprinkle some water and continue to sauté.
17. Now switch off the heat and add the beaten curd.
18. As soon as you add curd, quickly stir to incorporate the curd in the rest of the masala.
19. Then keep the heat to a low and sauté the masala stirring non-stop. Sauté till you see oil specks on the top and sides of the masala.
20. Then add the 3 cups chopped of kathal (unripe raw jackfruit).
21. Mix well and sauté for a minute.
Cooking kathal ki sabji
22. Add ½ cup water. If you use a large cooker, then you will need to add more water.
23. Season with salt as per taste and stir.
24. Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles on medium heat.
25. When the pressure falls on its own in the cooker, then only remove the lid. If there is more water in the kathal sabji, then you can cook without lid on a medium-low heat till some of the water evaporates.
26. Crush ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and add them to the sabji.
27. Lastly add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix well.
28. Serve kathal ki sabji hot or warm with chapatis or phulka or paratha or tandoori roti or rumali roti.
Few more sabji recipes
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
for ground green masala paste
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
- 2 tablespoons mint leaves
- 1 inch ginger or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 6 to 7 medium garlic cloves or 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 to 2 green chillies – chopped
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water for grinding
other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 4 cloves
- 1 tejpatta
- 3 green cardamoms
- 1 star anise (chakriphool)
- 4 to 5 black peppers
- 1 medium onion – finely chopped or ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 medium tomato – chopped or ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilly powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ¼ cup Curd – beaten
- 3 cups chopped kathal (unripe raw jackfruit)
- ½ cup water
- salt as required
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
chopping kathal (jackfruit)
- Spread some oil on your palms, knife and chopping board. Rinse the peeled jackfruit. Then chop the jackfruit. Generally I get the peel removed from the vegetable vendor.
- In case the peel is not removed, then you will have to slice off the peels. If using chopped jackfruit already brought from outside, then rinse them in water first. Soak the chopped jackfruit pieces in water, so that they do not get discoloured. You will need 3 cups chopped kathal.
- You can keep aside the jackfruit seeds and then make a sabji with them or add to sambar or veggie stir fries. If adding to stir fries the seeds have to be boiled or steamed before you add them.
making green masala paste
- In a small blender or grinder jar, take ¼ cup coriander leaves, 2 tablespoons mint leaves, 1 teaspoon chopped ginger, 1 teaspoon chopped garlic and 1 to 2 green chilies (chopped).
- Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and grind to a smooth paste.
making kathal ki sabji
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 2 litre pressure cooker.
- Add 1 teaspoon shahi jeera or cumin seeds, 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1 tejpatta, 3 green cardamoms, 1 star anise and 4 to 5 black peppers.
- Let the spices splutter and become aromatic.
- Then add ½ cup finely chopped onions.
- Mix the onions with the spices and sauté on a medium flame stirring often. sauté onions till they turn golden.
- Then add the ground green masala paste.
- Mix very well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes till you see some specks of oil at the sides or on top.
- Now add ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes. mix well.
- Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder, ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilly powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
- Mix again and begin to sauté tomatoes on a low to medium flame. Stir often.
- Meanwhile in a bowl beat ¼ cup fresh curd (dahi or yogurt). The curd should be fresh and not sour.
- Sauté the masala till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. If the masala mixture starts sticking to bottom of the cooker, then sprinkle some water and continue to sauté.
- Now switch off the flame and add the beaten curd.
- As soon as you add curd, quickly stir to incorporate the curd in the rest of the masala.
- Then keep the flame to a low and sauté the masala stirring non-stop. Sauté till you see oil specks on the top and sides of the masala.
- Then add the 3 cup chopped kathal (unripe raw jackfruit).
- Mix well and sauté for a minute.
cooking kathal ki sabji
- Add ½ cup water. If you use a large cooker, then you will need to add more water.
- Season with salt as per taste and stir.
- Pressure cook kathal ki sabji for 3 to 4 whistles on medium flame.
- When the pressure falls on its own in the cooker, remove the lid. If there is more water in the kathal sabji, then you can cook without lid on a medium-low flame till some of the water evaporates.
- Crush ½ teaspoon kasuri methi and add to the kathal ki sabji.
- Lastly add 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Stir and mix well.
- Serve kathal ki sabji hot or warm with chapatis or phulkas or paratha.
Nutrition
This Kathal ki Sabji post from the blog archives first published in April 2018 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
Really yummy. I added Tej patta .. you recipe doesn’t say so.. but the photos show it…
Thank you for the feedback and the rating. I must have forgotten to add this. I will update the post.
I prefer to fry kathal little bit seperately before adding it to the masala u drescribed to prepare. This helps to remove rawness of kathal and improves taste as well. Just to add 🙂 I always use ur recipes to impress my husband with my cooking skilks.
Soumya, you can do this way also. thanks for sharing.