kathal recipe with step by step photos – home style delicious curry made with raw jackfruit or kathal.
i had got recipe requests to add some recipes with kathal. kathal is the hindi word for jackfruit. every summer i do add 1 or 2 recipes with jackfruit. usually i make kathal pulao or kathal biryani or jackfruit payasam or kathal ki sabji and kathal stir fry with coconut. this time due to the recipe request for a kathal curry, i asked my mom her recipe method. so the kathal curry recipe shared here comes from my mom. its one of those curries that have a homely feeling and taste.
my mom also uses the jackfruit seeds in the curry. but you can remove these if you want. i remove them and add them to sabzis (stir fried or steamed veggies dishes) or add them to sambar or leafy vegetables stir fries. we always add them to this mangalore style malabar spinach curry.
getting a whole jackfruit, then peeling and then cutting it is a task. so i ask the veggie vendor to peel the kathal for me. you can do the same.
serve kathal curry with steamed rice or chapatis.
if you are looking for more curry recipes then you can check:
kathal curry recipe
INGREDIENTS FOR kathal curry recipe
for pressure cooking kathal
- 250 grams unripe jackfruit (kathal)
- 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder (haldi)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- water as required, for pressure cooking jackfruit
for onion paste
- 80 grams onion OR 1 large onion OR ¾ cup chopped onions
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water - optional and if required while grinding onions
for tomato masala paste
- 1 large tomatoes OR 160 grams tomatoes OR ¾ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 inch ginger OR 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger
- 8 to 10 small garlic OR 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic (lahsun)
- 1 tablespoon mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
for kathal curry
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- ½ teaspoon shah jeera (caraway seeds)
- 1.5 inches cinnamon (dalchini)
- 4 green cardamoms (chotti elaichi)
- 4 cloves (lavang)
- 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- 3 tablespoons beaten full fat curd
- 1.25 cups water OR add as required
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- salt as required
HOW TO MAKE kathal curry recipe
pressure cooking jackfruit (kathal)
- apply oil on your palms, knife and chopping board. rinse the peeled jackfruit. then chop the jackfruit and remove the seeds. 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.
- add the jackfruit pieces in a pressure cooker. while chopping jackfruit, you can remove the seeds if you want or add them in the dish.
- then add 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.
- add enough water which just about cover the jackfruit pieces.
- pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles or for 8 to 9 minutes on medium flame.
- once the pressure settles down, then remove the lid. drain all the water and keep the cooked jackfruit aside.
preparing onion paste for kathal curry
- meanwhile when the jackfruit is being pressure cooked, you can prep for the gravy. add ¾ cup chopped onions in a grinder jar.
- grind to a smooth paste without adding any water. remove and keep aside in a bowl.
preparing tomato paste for kathal curry
- in the same jar, then add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes. also add 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon mint leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.
- grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.
making kathal curry
- heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai.
- then add the following spices and let them crackle - ½ teaspoon shah jeera, 1.5 inch cinnamon, 4 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 small to medium tej patta. you can slightly crush the green cardamoms before adding.
- next add the ground onion paste. be careful as the mixture splutters. if the onion paste splutters too much, then cover the pan partly with a lid till the spluttering stops.
- mix very well.
- on a low to medium-low flame, stirring often saute the onion paste till it becomes light golden in color. you can even saute till it becomes golden.
- then the tomato paste. be careful as the mixture splutters.
- mix very well.
- saute the masala till you see oil releasing from its sides. saute on a low to medium-flame and stir often.
- then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
- mix very well. saute for a minute.
- keep the flame to a low or you can even switch off the flame. then add 3 tablespoons beaten full fat curd.
- as soon as you add curd, quickly and briskly mix it very well with the onion-tomato masala.
- now saute on a low to medium-low flame, till you see oil releasing from the sides.
- then add 1.25 cups water. mix very well.
- season with salt as per taste.
- bring the kathal curry to a simmer. you can add less or more water as per your requirements.
- once the curry starts simmering and you see some oil specks on top, then add the cooked jackfruit. mix well.
- cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 8 to 9 minutes.
- later, sprinkle ½ teaspoon garam masala powder. mix well.
- switch off the flame and add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. mix again.
- serve kathal curry with steamed rice or chapatis.
preparation for making kathal recipe
1. apply some oil on your palms, knife and chopping board. rinse the peeled jackfruit. then chop the jackfruit and remove the seeds. 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. add the jackfruit pieces in a pressure cooker. while chopping jackfruit, you can remove the seeds if you want or add them in the dish. if using peeled jackfruit, then rinse it in water very well, before chopping it.
2. then add 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. add enough water which just about cover the jackfruit pieces. mix well.
4. pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles or for 8 to 9 minutes on medium flame. once the pressure settles down, then remove the lid. drain all the water and keep the cooked jackfruit aside.
5. meanwhile when the jackfruit is being pressure cooked, you can prep for the gravy. add ¾ cup chopped onions in a grinder jar.
6. grind to a smooth paste without adding any water. remove and keep aside in a bowl.
7. in the same jar, then add ¾ cup chopped tomatoes. also add 2 teaspoons roughly chopped ginger, 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon mint leaves and 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.
8. grind to a smooth paste. keep aside.
making kathal recipe
9. heat 2 tablespoons oil or ghee in a pan or kadai.
10. then add the following spices and let them crackle – ½ teaspoon shah jeera, 1.5 inches cinnamon, 4 green cardamoms, 4 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf). you can slightly crush the green cardamoms before adding.
11. next add the ground onion paste. be careful as the mixture splutters. if the onion paste splutters too much, then first quickly stir and then cover the pan partly with a lid till the spluttering stops.
12. mix very well.
13. on a low to medium-low flame, stirring often saute the onion paste till it becomes light golden in color. you can even saute till it becomes golden.
14. then add the tomato paste. be careful as the mixture splutters.
15. mix very well.
16. saute the masala till you see oil releasing from its sides. saute on a low to medium-flame and stir often.
17. then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
18. mix very well.
19. saute for a minute.
20. keep the flame to a low or you can even switch off the flame. then add 3 tablespoons beaten full fat curd.
21. as soon as you add curd, quickly and briskly mix it very well with the onion-tomato masala.
22. now saute on a low to medium-low flame, till you see oil releasing from the sides.
23. then add 1.25 cups water.
24. mix very well.
25. season with salt as per taste.
26. bring the curry to a simmer. you can add less or more water as per your requirements.
27. once the curry starts simmering and you see some oil specks on top, then add the cooked jackfruit. mix well.
28. cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 8 to 9 minutes.
29. remove the lid.
30. later, sprinkle ½ teaspoon garam masala powder. mix well.
31. switch off the flame and add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. mix again.
32. serve kathal curry with steamed rice or chapatis.
Thank you so much!
I’m not an Indian but love Indian food. I like to try new food in restaurants and then cook it in home with your recipes! It always comes out nice! Thank you for sharing tips such as put oil to knife and cutting board.
welcome elena and thanks a lot. i try to add tips whenever adding a recipe or when i remember it. glad that you appreciate this. you comment will help me in remembering the tips and suggestions when adding recipes. thanks again.
Please guide that on your webpage ,MENU button does not comes on every page specially once if a recipe is opened so at times it gets difficult to locate search bar ?
Meghà, menu button appears once you scroll down the page to some extent. Google search button is right at the top.
Hello Dassana,
It seems as if you are my friend sitting in front of me and I am chit chatting and learning from you. Thank you kathal was extremely tasty and soft just melted in mouth.
Secondly I always used to think that green cardamom if crushed and added in food will always increase the taste and as you rightly shared in this recipe it did.
Just in case if going forward if I add the same crushed cardamom in recipes where it is added instead of adding it whole would it be ok ?
Welcome Meghà. Thanks for your nice words. You can add crushed cardamom in recipes where you want to add the flavors of cardamom.
First of all thank you for this recipe as I was really waiting for you to publish Jackfruit recipe because this is the first jackfruit curry after jackfruit pulao. My husband likes jackfruit and my mom cooks lehsun wala jackfruit but somehow that strong taste of garlic husband does not likes so thanks to you for posting this as curry he prefers more than dry and I trust only your website for recipes one does not need to think twice even if it is your site and way you explain is commendable. Thank you….
Welcome Meghà. Thanks a lot for your positive feedback and appreciation on recipes. I wanted to posted this kathal curry for a long time. Good I posted finally.
Awesome awesome super awesome lip smacking recipe. Tried making kathal using this recipe. My mom and husband were surprised that I could cook kathal so well. And the best part of the recipe is that it uses less oil. Love all your recipes Dassana. Thank you so much 🙂
Welcome Priya. Glad to know that everyone liked the dish. Thanks for leaving this sweet feedback.