Gujje Kebab and Gujje '65

Jack Fruit grows almost 6 months a year in different parts of India and is found in abundance in the coastal and interior areas of Karnataka, Kerala and Goa. Gujje is Raw Jack Fruit in Mangalorean language. We GSBs call it Kadgi and Keralites call it Chakka. In North India it is famous as Kathal. There are two kinds of jack fruits mainly, 'Barke' and 'Tuluva'. Raw Tuluva jack fruit is preferable to make deep fried podis and kebabs because it is more fleshy and less fibrous. However, some varieties of Barke can also be selected. Raw jack fruit should be fresh and firm to make fried snacks.

Gujje Kebab was popularised by some of the local restaurants and podi joints in the late Nineties. I first tasted it at Hotel Ayodhya(Rama Bhavan) and also at Balli's Podi Joint in Mangalore. Then some others too followed the trend and today Gujje Kebab is as popular as Chicken Kebab.

We had a raw jack fruit given by a friend and he asked me what special can I prepare with it on Garam Tawa. He also gave me a hint that he does not prefer typical GSB preparations with it. Hence I told him, I will make Gujje '65!

Now very recently we made chicken '65 and that was a super hit. So, I decided to follow the same formula to make gujje '65. However, the flavour and texture of gujje and chicken differ a lot. Thus I made slight changes in the ingredients, but what I made was highly appreciated by my friend Dr Sai Griridhar Kamath and our family friend Uma Shenoi. They said, it was very crisp, spicy, coating was well balanced and perfectly fried.

So what are you guys waiting for? Go to the local market, get a fresh raw jack fruit and make Gujje Kebab or '65. If you fry the kebabs along with green chilli bits and curry leaves, that becomes '65. Otherwise you can just serve them plain kebabs with a lemon wedge. This can be a good starter dish with cocktail or mocktail, or you can have this as a fried dish along with rice and curry.

Ingredients:
Raw Jack Fruit(Gujje/Kadgi) - Around 750 Gm(gross weight)
Lemon - 1/2
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Salt - 3/4 Tsp or to taste
Red Chilli Powder - 1 and 1/2 Tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 and 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp
Garam masala Powder - 3/4 Tsp
Caraway Seeds(Oama/Ajwain) - A pinch
Plain Yogurt - 1 Tbsp
Corn Starch - 4 Tsp
Rice Powder - 2 Tsp
Refined Flour - 2 Tsp
Green Chillies - 6-8 cut into two diagonally
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Refined Vegetable Oil - For deep frying

Method:

Gujje Kebab:
Wash the raw jack fruit thoroughly under running water to get rid of any mud or impurities.
Apply a thin film of coconut oil on your hands while cleaning the jack fruit, as it contains sticky gum.
Shave off the external thick spiky skin of the jack fruit with a sharp knife.
Cut the jack fruit into two width-wise and then into four each lengthwise.
Cut and remove the center core.
Slice the jack fruit into 1/2" thick pieces and drop them in a bowl filled with cold water.
Drain the water and apply salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, all the masala powders, and then mix in plain yogurt.
Keep aside for 30 minutes to one hour for marination.
Add all the three flours and mix well, adding very little water if necessary.
The coating should be gummy, not very dry, not too watery.
Heat oil in a thick kadai.
As the oil starts to fume, reduce the flame to medium and drop 4-6 gujje slices at a time into the hot oil.
Fry for about 5 mins minutes on both the sides, taking care not to char the kebabs.
Collect the kebabs with a perforated ladle and allow excess oil to drain.
Transfer to a colander lined with kitchen paper to absorb remaining oil.
Gujje kebab is ready.
You can serve hot gujje kebab with a lemon wedge or continue to make gujje '65.

Gujje '65:
In the same oil, add 4-6 green chilli bits and few curry leaves, followed by 4-6 pieces of the once fried kebabs.
When green chillies turn whitish and crisp, remove the kebabs along with the fried chillies and curry leaves and serve hot with lemon wedge.

Paatthal Bhaaji with Tender Cashewnuts

We GSBs are crazy about Bibbo/Hasi Gerubeeja/ Latth Korant/Tender Cashewnuts. We make different curries with it and also add this to sweet dishes. Now is the high season for tender cashewnuts in the tropical places. Unlike last year and the year before, we could see bumper crop of cashew in the market and price is right, thanks to people of Uttar Kannada District of Karnataka who are good at capturing the market when locals have deviated from the traditional things. Hundred cashewnuts cost just between Rs.100/- to 150/- this time. 

I guess this type of Paatthal Bhaaji originated in Karkala, because I ate this first way back in 1987 when my ex-Bank colleague Bantwal Gopalkrishna Pai's wife who hailed from Karkala packed it in his snack box along with pooris and he shared that with us, three close colleagues. I was totally bowled by the awesome taste of the combo meal and I did ask the good lady the recipe and she revealed it verbally, only for me to forget and lose track of it!

I've been wanting to make this at home but never had the least idea how to make it, whenever I see tender cashewnuts hit the local market stalls every summer. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pai  are no more, and I can't find anyone else making this, whom I can ask for the recipe today! Then I just reminisced over and guessed the ingredients myself and made it today, 28 years after I first tasted it. It turned out perfect, as good as Mrs Pai made it, but I had it with Maida Urad Daal Dosas for brunch. The subtle flavour of cumin seeds, turmeric, onions and ginger blend well with potatoes and cashewnuts to leave a wonderful feeling for those who relish it!

'Paatthal' in Konkani means thin. 'Bhaaji' is obviously a vegetable curry. This is almost like stew they make in Kerala but here some ingredients are different and also, coconut masala is added to the gravy instead of coconut milk. Make this with fresh tender cashewnuts but you can also make it with just potatoes. Best way to relish this is with poori, but chapati, dosa, aapam, idiappam and plain bread also taste good with this. You can also have this as a side dish with rice and rasam.

Ingredients: 
Bibbo(Tender Cashewnuts) - 100
Potatoes - 2 small
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Green chillies - 3-4 (Check for pungency)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tsp 
Tamarind  - Chickpea size
Grated coconut  - 1 cup(1/2 of 1/2 Coconut)
Coriander leaves - A handful (Optional)
Jaggery powder - 1 Tsp (Optional)
Ginger - 1/2" piece finely chopped 
Salt - 1/2 Tsp or according to taste
Coconut oil - 2 Tsp

Method:
Soak bibbo for 2-3 hours at room temperature if fresh, or in hot water for 6-8 hours if dried ones.
Peel and split each cashewnut into 2.
Wash thoroughly, drain and apply little salt.
Cook for 2 minutes at full pressure in a pressure cooker in a bowl, without adding water to the bibbo.
Cook the potatoes in the same pressure cooker adding water in a separate bowl.
Peel the potatoes and chop into small bits, as big as cashewnuts.
Lightly roast the cumin seeds and grind along with grated coconut, turmeric powder, green chillies, tamarind and optional coriander leaves to a fine paste.
Reserve the water used for washing the grinder.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel and fry the chopped onions till transparent.
Add the ground masala paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the optional jaggery powder, chopped ginger and salt.
Mix well and add water from the grinder.
Adjust thickness of the gravy by adding more water if necessary, bring to a boil.
Now add the boiled potato bits and boil for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked cashewnuts, cover and simmer for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
Check for salt and serve hot with pooris.

Chicken '65 (Spicy Chicken Kebabs)

Chicken '65 is nothing but a kind of spicy chicken kebab with added green chillies and curry leaves. There are different recipes available online but I make this the way I like it the most, following a simple but tasty recipe of my own. I used to make it more spicy adding few extras, but of late I find just a few basic ingredients can make it taste pretty good, rather perfect I can say. Brown onions add to flavour and taste, while rice powder gives that crispness and lightness to the coating.

This is one of the most popular South Indian starter snacks served in most of the restaurants in India. There are many versions to the origin of the name Chicken '65. Some say 65 days bird is used in frying hence the name. Others say a Military Canteen had this item listed as No.65 on their menu. There is yet another version that the famous 'Buhari's' in Chennai started this item in 1965, so it is Chicken '65. Whatever people say or believe, I believe in only making exotic snacks like this and gobbling up one or two extra pieces!

I first tasted this wonderful starter snack in 1980 when I visited RR Hotel in Bengaluru. Andhra style restaurants popularised this dish and others improved it. Then of course many restaurants started making this and in Mangalore, almost all restaurants make this pretty well. Street carts also make good chicken '65. However, there's nothing as good as home made food, as we add pure spices and prepare it with love. With love for those who relish it. With love for good food and living.

Serve this as a starter or as side dish with Biryani. I am sure your guests will ask for one or two extra pieces if you follow my recipe and make it exactly as mentioned here under. We made it with chicken pieces weighing almost 1 Kg 750 Gm but I have mentioned recipe for making this with 500 Gm chicken, ideal for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids.

"Happy Easter and happy cooking"

Ingredients:
Chicken without skin - 500 Gm cut into kebab size bits
Salt - 1/2 Tsp(Or to taste)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 Tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 Tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 3/4 Tsp
Brown Onions - 1 Tsp
Lemon - 1/2(or 1 Tsp diluted white vinegar)
Caraway Seeds(Ajwain) - A pinch
Refined Flour(Maida) - 1 Tsp
Rice Flour - 1 Tsp
Corn Flour - 2 Tsp
Egg White(Optional) - 1 Egg
Green Chillies - 4-5 cut diagonally into 2 each
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
Refined Vegetable Oil - For Deep frying

Method:
Wash and pat dry chicken pieces.
Combine lemon juice(or vinegar), salt, ginger garlic paste, brown onion, garam masala powder, chilli powders and marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture for 3-4 hours.
Add caraway seeds and all the flours, mix well and check for salt.
If necessary sprinkle little water while mixing in flours, so that the batter gets properly coated, but see that you don't make it too thin.
Beat and add the egg white if necessary(We skipped this step).
Heat oil in a kadai till it starts fuming.
Reduce the flame to medium and deep fry 4-5 pieces of chicken at a time till crisp and done.
Before you remove the fried chicken pieces, add a few green chilli bits and curry leaves to the hot oil and fry till chillies turn whitish.
Remove and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve hot with lemon wedge and onion rings.