Jackfruit is an exotic and tropical fruit primarily found in South and Southeast Asia. It is popularly known as a ‘superfood’ and is an excellent alternative to meat. Jackfruit gets its yellow colour from pigments like Antioxidants and Carotenoids, which are high in Vitamin A. Though it appears to look like shredded meat, ripe jackfruit has an oddly sweet flavour, just like a pineapple mixture, banana and mango. Apart from the fact that it tastes surprisingly like Juicy fruit chewing gum, it has many nutritional benefits.
Given below are some delicious jackfruit recipes which are super healthy, tasty and easy to make.
Lip-smacking Jackfruit Recipes to Try
1. Jackfruit (Kathal) Curry
Ingredients
For pressuring-cooking the jackfruit
1. 250 grams unripe jackfruit
2. 1-2 pinches turmeric powder
3. Water, as required for cooking the jackfruit
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt
For Tomato Paste
1. 1 large tomato/ 3/4 cup tomatoes, chopped/ 160 g tomatoes
2. 8-10 small garlic cloves/two teaspoons’ garlic, roughly chopped
3. 1-inch ginger/ 2 teaspoons ginger, roughly chopped
4. 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
5. 1 tablespoon mint leaves
For Onion Paste
1. 1 large onion/ 3/4 cup onion, chopped/ 80 g onion
2. 1-2 tablespoons water, optional (as required for crushing the onion)
For the Jackfruit Curry
1. 2 tablespoons oil/ ghee
2. 1.5 inches cinnamon stick
3. 1 black cardamom
4. 4 green cardamoms
5. 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
6. 1 small or medium Indian bay leaf (tej patta)
7. 4 cloves
8. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
9. 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
10. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
11. 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
12. Three tablespoons beaten full-fat curd
13. Water, as required
14. 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
15. Salt, as required
Directions
For Pressure-cooking the Jackfruit
1. Take the unripe jackfruit, rinse it, chop it and remove the seeds. If the peel is not removed, then gently slice off the peels.
2. Now, place the chopped jackfruit in the pressure cooker. You can remove the seeds from it or add them to your dish; it depends on you.
3. Add the turmeric powder, salt and enough water to cover the chopped jackfruit.
4. Now pressure cook on a medium flame for about 8-9 minutes or 3-4 whistles.
5. Lastly, when the jackfruit is cooked, drain all the water and keep it aside.
For preparing Tomato Paste
1. Take a jar and add in the tomatoes. Then add the ginger, garlic, chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves.
2. Grind them all to a smooth paste and place them aside.
For preparing Onion Paste
1. To prepare the onion paste, add 3/4 cup chopped onions in a grinder jar.
2. Without adding any water, grind the onions to a smooth paste.
3. Remove and keep aside
For preparing Jackfruit Curry
1. Heat oil in a pan or Kadai.
2. Add the caraway seeds, cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf.
3. Then add in the onion paste.
4. Now, sauté the onion paste till it turns golden-brown or golden in colour on a low-medium flame.
5. Add in the tomato paste but be careful as it stumbles. Mix well.
6. Continue to sauté the masala on a low-medium flame until you see oil being released from the sides. Stir often.
7. Then add in the red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, mix well and sauté for 1 minute.
8. Switch off the flame or keep it low and add in the curd.
9. As soon as you add the curd, mix it quickly with the onion and tomato paste.
10. Sauté the masala on a medium-low flame until you see oil releasing from the sides.
Cooking the curry
1. Now add the water; the season will salt as per taste and mix well. Bring the curry to a simmer.
2. Once the curry starts simmering and some oil specks are visible on the top, add the cooked jackfruit and mix well.
3. Cover the Kadai will a lid and let it simmer for 8-9 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the Garam Masala powder and mix well.
5. Switch off the flame and add the chopped coriander leaves. Mix until combined.
Your Jackfruit Curry is ready to serve!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the benefits of jackfruit?
Jackfruit contains pigments like Antioxidants and Carotenoids, which have Vitamin A in abundance. These pigments help your body work properly and prevents cell damage. They also help in combatting cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
2. How many people can I serve using this recipe?
This recipe is enough to serve four people.
3. How much time does it take to prepare this dish?
It takes approximately 35 minutes to prepare this dish.