Red Chori Beans Curry in Coconut with Raw Green Jackfruit - Konkani Style (Bagdo Kadgi Koddel)

Koddel is a Konkani preparation commonly made in all Konkani homes. When Garlic is used for the seasoning, some also call it Bendi. I like to pair the beans with seasonal vegetables like Chinese Potato (Kooka), Raw Green Jackfruit (Kadgi) or Plantain Stem (Gabbo). Since Raw Green Jackfruit  (the canned variety) is easily available here, I use it often.

The beans used for this recipe is Red Chori Beans, known as Bagdo in Konkani. The beans are easily available in Indian stores all over US. I paired them with Phulkas and Salad.

~ Bagdo Kadgi Koddel ~

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Red Chori Beans/ Cow Beans/ Bagdo - 1 cup

Raw Green Jackfruit (semi-cooked, cleaned) - 14 oz. 

Salt

Koddel Masala -

Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup

Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp

Red Chillies (Byadgi variety) - 3-5

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

For Seasoning -

Garlic pods (peeled and crushed) - 3-5

Coconut Oil 

Method:

Clean, rinse and soak the beans overnight or for 8-10 hours. In a small frying pan, heat a few spoons of coconut oil and roast red chillies. Grind to a smooth paste along with grated coconut, turmeric powder and tamarind with little water. Pressure cook the beans with tad bit salt for couple of whistles. Allow to cool.

In a deep bottomed vessel, bring the masala to boil. Add water as per consistency required and add the Jackfruit pieces. Simmer on low flame for 5-8 minutes till completely cooked. In the same frying pan used before, heat a few spoons of coconut oil and saute crushed garlic pods. Once light brown, pour the seasoning over the cooked curry and cover with a lid. Mix before serving. Pair with steamed white rice or Phulkas/ Rotis.

Note: The seeds are very delicate and tender once pressure cooked. Do not stir a lot, else they turn mushy.

Great Northern Beans Curry with Raw Green Jackfruit (Tingalore Kadgi Bendi)

Bendi is a popular style of Konkani curry mostly prepared in Mangalore and nearby regions. The base of the curry comprises of three usual suspects found in Konkani household - Coconut, Red Chillies (Byadgi chillies + Harekala chillies) and Tamarind, seasoned with a liberal garnish of Garlic crushed and seared in Coconut oil. This curry is very spicy in taste and has a flaming deep red color. Compared to other curries where the quantity of Coconut (grated) added is a lot, this curry makes use of lesser quantity of Coconut. The taste is spiced up with addition of lot of Red Chillies, especially Harekala Chillies to spruce up the heat and intensity of flavor.

In my opinion, Udupi and nearby regions resort to the other milder version of curry known as Koddel. Koddel is less spicy and has a rich coconut base because of addition of liberal amount of coconut to the curry paste.

Great Northern Beans (Raw and Soaked)

I used Great Northern Beans for this curry since I had them handy and the flavor of this bean is the same as Navy Beans. Usually, we use Tingalore, known and available as Navy Beans in US for this spicy curry in our home. Incidentally, Great Northern Beans belong to the Navy Beans family. Use Coconut oil for seasoning as it enhances and nurtures the authentic curry flavor.

~ Tingalore Kadgi Bendi ~
Preparation time: 8-10 hours (soak time)
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
Navy Beans or Great Northern Beans - 1 cup
Raw Green Jackfruit (fresh or frozen) - 2 cups
Salt

For Masala -
Grated Coconut - 5 tbsp/ cup of Beans
Red Chillies (Byadgi [5] + Harekala Chillies [3]) - 8
Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp

For Seasoning -
Garlic (crushed) - 6
Coconut Oil (ONLY)

Method:

Clean, wash the beans and soak them in ample amount of water overnight. The beans proliferate in size the next day around. Pressure cook them for 2-3 whistles along with jackfruit. Roast the red chillies in little oil for couple of minutes and allow to cool. Grind to a smooth paste along with grated coconut and tamarind pulp.
Bring the ground paste to a boil, adjust salt and water consistency as desired. Add the cooked beans and jackfruit now. Bring to a boil and simmer to cook for 5-8 minutes. Cook till the beans and jackfruit pieces are completely cooked. In a separate pan, heat few spoons of coconut oil and season with crushed garlic. Sear them till they get a reddish brown tinge. Pour this seasoning on the cooked curry. Cover with a lid and serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Note - I reduced the number of chillies, but one can increase it upto 10-12 chillies for more heat and flaming red color.

Raw Jackfruit Biryani (Kadgi Biryani/ Kathal Biryani) - 1.0

Recently, I bought a small bag of precooked raw jackfruit (young and tender) on a whim from the Indian grocery store and made an impromptu Biryani out of it. My husband loves the meaty texture of jackfruit and I love jackfruit in any form! I added lot of ingredients to the precooked jackfruit as a marinade which took the jackfruit taste few notches up.

This recipe is inspired from our cousin's wife's Chicken Biryani recipe which I will be posting soon. Taking inspiration from her I added little bit of tenderiser powder to soften the jackfruit pieces, not required for vegetables as much for meat, the flavour was nice, succulent and soft. Instead of layering the rice and gravy curry, I mixed them to mingle the delicate flavours and we both liked the change. Not to mention, Mace and Nutmeg add the extra zing which every Biryani dish requires. This is a good Biryani for vegetarians who do not eat meat yet wish to relish the flavour of Biryani.

~ Kadgi Biryani ~
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 mnts (rice) + 30 mnts (assembly)

Ingredients:
Onions (sliced) - 2 cups
Bay leaf - 2
Tomatoes (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Nutmeg (grated) - 1/2 tsp
Saffron water - 2 tbsp
Oil
Salt

For Raw Jackfruit marinade -
(Precook Raw Jackfruit with salt and turmeric water, cool and then use with marinade)
Yoghurt - 1 cup
Mint leaves (chopped) - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1 cup
Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Mace (Javithri crushed) - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Biryani Masala powder - 1 tbsp
Meat tenderiser powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil
Mix all of it and refrigerate till use.

For cooking rice -
Basmati rice - 1 and 1/2 cup
Star Anise - 1
Black Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon sticks - 2 of 2"
Cloves - 2
Cook rice with 1: 1 and 1/2 water, 1 tbsp oil and salt

Method:

Jackfruit marinade - Precook the jackfruit pieces in turmeric powder and salt water and drain water. Do not throw the water away. Keep aside. Allow to cool. Add all the ingredients of the marinade to the jackfruit pieces in a bowl, mix well and refrigerate till use. Add oil as it keeps the jackfruit pieces moist.
Cooking Rice - Wash rice. If possible soak the rice in salt water and oil for 1/2 and hour before use. Cook with whole spices in 1:1 and 1/2 cups of water. Cook till rice is half done. I cook in an electric rice cooker which gives me precise granularity. Once done, spread rice on a plate and allow to cool.
Jackfruit gravy and mixing rice - In a deep bottomed pan (the same will be made to prepare Biryani so use your judgement), heat few spoons of oil/ ghee. Once oil is hot enough, add bay leaves and add onions. Sweat them in oil till they turn light yellow and are fried. Pick half of fried onion and keep aside. In that add the jackfruit marinade and saute till completely cooked and the gravy is thick and not watery. This takes around 20 minutes. Mix the cooked rice now and give a good stir. Sprinkle the other half of cooked onions, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and saffron water. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Serve hot with Raita or Mirchi Ka Saalan.