Baked Sweet Potato & Jackfruit Seeds Mash with Raw Tamarind (Bengali Recipe)

Baked Sweet Potato and Jackfruit Seeds with Raw Tamarind

By Barnali Dutta | Published: January 6, 2014

For 4 people you will need 2 big sweet potatoes (misti aloo), 5 to 6 jackfruit seeds (kathaler dana), and 1 Indian olive (jolpai) or 2 raw tamarind with shell (kancha tetul) if jolpai is not available. Indian olive or raw tamarind are popular seasonal choices for tangy cravings—their aroma alone makes one's mouth water, while kasundi delivers a fiery blast to the dish.

Traditional rustic Bengali winter mash: hearth-roasted sweet potato (misti aloo) and tender jackfruit seeds (kathaler dana), balanced with tart raw tamarind and pungent kasundi mustard chutney.

Ingredients

• Misti aloo (sweet potatoes) – 2 small
• Kathaler dana (jackfruit seeds) – 5 to 6
• Jolpai (Indian olive) or kancha tetul (raw tamarind with shell) – 1 to 2
• Kasundi (Bengali mustard sauce) – 1 teaspoon
• Sorsher tel (mustard oil) – 5 ml (approx. 1 teaspoon)
• Salt – to taste

Directions

1. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Keep all the vegetables near the fire or close to the open flame while cooking your daily meal, rotating until they are evenly charred outside and tender throughout.
2. Peel the charred skins off the sweet potatoes and jackfruit seeds. Crack open the tamarind shell, scoop out the soft tart pulp, and discard the hard inner seeds.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the roasted vegetables with 1 teaspoon mustard oil, kasundi, and salt to taste. Mash thoroughly until well blended and serve alongside hot steamed rice.