Stuffed Teasel Gourd Fry\Pur Bhora Kankrol

Here, in our local market, sometimes, I can not find my favorite vegetables. My one of the favorite vegetable is Kankrol or Teasel Gourd. Teasel Gourd is very popular vegetable in our North-East region, widely available during the monsoon season. This time, when monsoon started to leave, we found some Kankrol in our local market, very high price! But we could not resist to buy these & in dinner I prepared the best recipe my Ma used to cook at home. 

My ma, prepares this recipe, whenever these are available in market. I love this stuffed things. In my 1 year Bangalore life, this was the first time I prepared these fries. These are reminding me, how I used to stand near my Ma when she used to prepare these... 

Here is my Ma's recipe. 

Ingredients:

Kankrol\  - 4 (1 Kankrol will give 2 stuffed fries) 

Poppy seed - 2tbsp 

Mustard seeds - 1tbsp

Onion - 1, medium

Green chili - 2-3

Garlic - 1-2 cloves, chopped

All-purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard oil 

Sugar & Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut off the tail of the Kankrol, peel and cut them into equal halves, lengthwise. Blanch the Kankrol for about 3-4 minutes and drain the water. (Note: you need make the pieces little soft; In our area water is not so good, so I had to use cooker to make them tender.)

2. With a small spoon, gently scoop the insides of the Kankrol out, without damaging the outer shell, giving a boat like shape to it. Retain the insides for the stuffing.

3. In a grinder, add poppy & musterd seeds, half of the onion, chillies. Make a fine paste. 

4. Heat 1tbsp oil in a kadai. Add the chopped garlic & remaining onion (chopped). Saute until onion is soft. Add the Kankrol insides. Fry for 2mins. Add the paste. Add salt & saute. Cook untill there is no water. The final output will be a little fried paste. 

5. Make a thick batter with all purpose flour, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well to avoid lumps. 

6. Take required amount of stuffing & fill the hollow insides of the kankrol boats.

7. Dip each stuffed Kankrol in the batter and shallow fry in hot mustard oil. You can use refined oil if you don’t have\like mustard oil. (but I like the musterd oil taste!)

8. Keep the stuffing-side up in the oil and first fry the “base” for about 1-2 minutes on low-medium heat. 

9. I took a spoon and started dripping the hot oil over the top of the Kankrol, just to keep everything intact. With a slotted spoon, turn the Kankrol halves to the stuffing-side down. Fry again for 1-2 minutes on low heat.

10. The Kankrols should look crusty and golden fried at the end of their cooking time. Its important the frying is done in a wok on low-medium heat so the insides are cooked. If the oil cools down, adjust accordingly.