The first time I came across shatkora was in India a few
years ago. We were leaving for the airport one of the hotel chefs came up to us
and proudly presented us with a a bag of green and knobbly looking fruit as a
gift. He explained shatkora was hard to find in the UK and much more expensive. We put
the bag into our suitcase but, sadly, had to ditch it later as our luggage was
too heavy. Since then, shatkora has become much easier to find in the UK and features
in many dishes in Indian restaurants. From the outside it certainly is not an object of beauty but, as far as flavours go, the shatkora is a veritable swan of the culinary world. A cross
between grapefruit, lime and lemon, it adds a tanginess and exotic taste to
curry dishes and lifts them into the sublime.
Otherwise known as the citrus macroptera or ‘wild orange’, the fruit is about is 6-7cm in diameter
and oval in shape with pointed ends. The variant grown in Bangladesh is called annamensis and is commonly used in the
area of Sylhet. It grows on thorny trees which can reach 5m in height. Although
it looks and smells more like a lime, its juice is sour and bitter and tastes
more like that of a grapefruit. The pith is thick and dry and the outer skin
becomes yellow when the fruit is ripe.
 |
Delicious Shatkora curry cooked by Chef Mahbub Rahman
of Dine Bangla in Beverley. |
Preparation of the fruit is tricky and requires some culinary
skill. Perhaps the easiest way is to cut the shatkora in half lengthways and then
cut each half into three, also along the length. Then the main fruit can be pared
away from the peel and outer pith with a sharp knife.
Chefs recommend the skin is pre cooked to soften the
texture. In Bangladesh
the rind is eaten as a vegetable and the pulp is usually discarded because of
its bitter taste. The thick rind is cut into small pieces and cooked in beef
mutton, fish curries and stews whilst the fruit is often used in shatkora
pickles.
Curries cooked with shatkora are now becoming more and more
popular in Bangladeshi and Indian restaurants in the UK. The fruit can now be bought in many Asian food
stores that serve the Indian and Bangladeshi community. It’s also available in
frozen form.
Shatkora’s beneficial values don’t stop there – as a citrus
fruit, rich in Vitamin C in India
and Bangladesh,
it has long been known for its medicinal value. It’s very strong in
antioxidants and is reputed to be a sure cure for colds and flu when cooked in
curry.
Recipe for Aromatic Venison Curry
with Shatkora
from The Kennington Tandoori
Haunch of roast venison slow cooked to melting tenderness with tangy citrus shatkora in a deliciously rich, juicy sauce.
Serves 6
Preparation time: 20-30 minutes
Cooking time: approx 3 hours
Ingredients
- 3
tbs vegetable/olive oil
- Whole
spices:
- 2
bay leaves
- 1
piece cinnamon bark (not quills)
- 4
green cardamom pods, bruised
- 1tsp
salt
- 1
tbs garlic paste
- 1
tbs ginger paste
- 5
large shallots, very finely diced
- 1 ½
lb venison haunch, trimmed of fat and cut into 1 ½ inch chunks
- Approx
1 ½ pints water (see method)
- Ground
powdered spices:
- 1
rounded tsp brown cumin powder
- 1 ½
rounded tsp coriander powder
- 1
rounded tsp chilli powder
- Scant
½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2
slices shatkora, flesh removed and cut into pieces
Method
- Warm
the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan or casserole dish. Add the whole spices and gently heat,
swirling in the oil to heat and release their flavours, adding a tsp of
salt as you do so. Take care not to let the spices burn as this will make
the dish taste bitter.
- Add
the garlic and ginger pastes, continuing to stir on a gentle heat. (For
small quantities crush garlic bulbs and grind to a paste, fresh ginger
root can be grated with a fine microplane; for larger quantities it is
easier to use a food processor.) Add the diced shallots, stir and cook on
a medium heat until opaque and just starting to colour, but do not brown.
- Add
the meat and brown all over in the spices and onion mix (approx 7-10
minutes), whilst enjoying the delicious aroma.
- Add
sufficient water to fully cover the meat, stir thoroughly to deglaze the
pan and to ensure nothing sticks or burns on the base. Bring to the boil,
then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for ½ an hour.
- Add
the mixed spice powder and stir in to the curry, using a wooden spoon or
spatula (not metal – to avoid cutting the meat). Cover and slow cook on a
gentle bubble for 2 hours until the sauce has thickened and the meat is
meltingly tender (longer if using a cheaper cut).
- About
15 minutes before the curry is ready, add shatkora and allow it to scent
the dish.
The Kennington Tandoori, 313 Kennington Rd, London
SE11 4QE
Ingredients:
