Duck curry with mustard green (lai haak) and white gourd (joha kumura)

  In my last blog, I had mentioned that I am at home after almost a year, therefore I am enjoying different delicacies prepared at home. Moreover, I am also cooking a lot of dishes. We have just celebrated Maagh Bihu ( 13th to 15th January) which is the festival for feasting and merry making. 

Maagh Bihu is also a time for feast and merry making as our harvesting is over and duck is the most preferred meat. During this time duck meat tastes great and this dish is one of the most preferred dish in Upper Assam. The meat is cooked with white gourd and is served to family and to our respected guests.

I had cooked this dish in the traditional mud stove as it tastes better if cooked in a traditional way.

INGREDIENTS 

• Onion paste (1 or 2 )
• Garlic paste (7 - 8 cloves)
• Ginger paste - 2 tsp
• Jeera powder (cumin powder) 1and a half tsp
• Dhania Powder (coriander powder) 1 tsp
• Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric 1 tsp
• Potatoes (cut in cube size - 4 peices)
• White gourd
• Mustard Green (6-7 leaves)
• Red Chilly Powder - 2 tsp
• Green chilies
• Bay leaf
• Tomato - 1
• Salt to taste
• Mustard oil 2 tbsp 

I remember my Grandma and other aunts in village never adding any spices but still the dish would taste super yummy, however in my dish I did add a few.

Now, let me get back to the steps on cooking this amazing curry.

PREPARATION

• First, roast the duck meat slightly over fire till its light brown as it gives out a roasted aroma after which you can cut the duck meat into pieces.

• Heat up the pan and add 2 tsp of mustard oil (or any other cooking oil). Once the oil is heated, add the onion paste in to the oil and fry it till its light golden. 

• Add the bay leaf (1 or two), green chilies, tomato and keep frying.

• Once it is cooked, add the duck meat in the pan along with salt to taste and keep frying.

• Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper and red chili powder and potatoes one after another to the pan.

• After 3-4 minutes, add the ginger-garlic paste. I add the ginger-garlic paste later instead of at the beginning because it gives an enhance taste to the dish.

• Keep on frying the meat till it is golden brown and cooked well.

• After that add the white gourd to the pan and cover it with a lid.

• At this time, the meat as well as the white gourd would get cooked and release water.

• After 5 minutes, remove the lid and add water and cover the pan again.

• It will take 10-15 minutes for the dish to be ready if cooked in a mud stove outside, however in a gas stove, it may take 15- 20 minutes.

• Just 5 minutes before the dish is cooked, remove the lid and add the mustard green leaves and cover the pan again.

• After 5 minutes, duck curry is ready to be eater with hot plain rice. 😋