All photographs: Sreeja S Nair
The jackfruit season has just begun in Kerala and it's a special time for every foodie Malayali.
Jackfruit trees blossom in Kerala by mid-October and the fruit ripen by January. Tender jackfruits are now available across Kerala, like the one in the picture above taken of the jackfruit tree in our home.
The largest tree-borne fruit is said to be the jackfruit. It offers a variety of health benefits because of its rich nutrient and protein content. According to research, says Healthline, jackfruit can lower inflammation as it contains several anti-oxidants, like vitamin C. It also has potassium and fibre, which are good for the body.
Above all, jackfruit is a fertiliser- and chemical-free food too!
Almost every portion of a ripe jackfruit can be used for preparing a variety of dishes -- both the raw and fruit versions. Except for its outer skin of green thorns (which is a cattle feed), the rest of the fruit is used completely for preparing various dishes like chips, jam, cake, steamed dumplings, curries, stir fry or pan fry (only tender ones), core and seed stir fry and the like.
Tender jackfruit is mainly used to prepare a typical Kerala-Style Jackfruit Stir Fry or Idichakka Thoran with spices, green chillies and coconut. It is prepared in two phases and the total preparation time for this recipe is just 10 to 15 minutes.
Bird's eye chillies are preferred for the coconut mix but green chillies can also be used, as the former may not be available everywhere.
Idichakka Thoran
Serves: 3-4
Preparing the jackfruit for the stir fry:
- 1 small fresh tender jackfruit, semi-cooked
- Water, as required
- ¼ tbsp haldi or turmeric powder
- 3-4 pearl onions, chopped
- 1 sprig fresh curry leaves
- 1 tbsp urad dal or whole white gram
- 1 tbsp rai or mustard seeds
- 2 dry red chillies
- Salt to taste, about 1½ tsp
- 2-3 tbsp oil, coconut oil preferable
For the coconut mixture:
- 1½ cup grated fresh coconut
- 4 garlic pods
- 6-7 bird's eye chillies or 2-3 green chillies
- 2-3 black peppercorns
- 4-5 fresh curry leaves
- Pinch haldi or turmeric powder
- ¼ tbsp jeera or cumin seeds
Method
- Peel off the green thorny skin from the outer chunks of the tender jackfruit.
Remove the sap fully.
Cut the whole tender jackfruit into large chunks.
Remove the core, which is not required in the stir fry.
Cut the chunks into smaller pieces.
- In a saucepan or a kadhai, add ½ tbsp turmeric powder, to the raw jackfruit and cook it in ½ cup of water for 5 minutes over medium heat.
Please do not overcook it.
Dry up any water remaining in the pan.
- Shred the semi-cooked jackfruit in the chutney jar of a mixer grinder.
Grind the pieces gently just for 1-2 seconds of pulse (one pulse after another) to separate the jackfruit fibres and don't allow the jackfruit to grind into a paste.
Keep aside
For the coconut mixture:
- Grind all the coconut mixture ingredients for 2-3 second pulses in the chutney jar of a mixer.
Again, please don't grind it into a paste.
Toss the coconut mixture with the shredded jackfruit well.
Assembly:
- Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a saucepan or a kadhai over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds, and after the mustard seeds begin to splutter, add the urad dal.
When the urad dal turns light brown, add the chopped onions, dry red chillies and curry leaves.
Then add the jackfruit-coconut mixture.
Cook over low heat upto 6 minutes.
Stir occasionally.
Add salt as required.
- Check to see if the jackfruit stir fry is cooked properly and take off heat and serve with steamed rice.
Sreeja lives in Poovarany, also in Kottayam, close to the town of Pala.
