Raw Jackfruit (Idichakka) Thoran - Kerala style

 

            Raw Jackfruit Thoran is a simple, easy and a traditional Kerala recipe that is cooked with lots of fresh coconut and other spices. It is a quick recipe, mildly spiced and don't forget to cook it in coconut oil for an authentic touch. It is tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, urad dal and red chili for a distinct flavor. This happens to be one of the items in the Onam Sadya meal, and is relished as a side dish. 

            This nutritious dish is very popular in Kerala where it is called Idichakka Thoran. There are obviously many version to this yummy preparation. Each family have their own traditional recipe.  

          Thoran in general can also be made with veggies like carrot, cabbage, beetroot, raw banana, okra, etc. It is cooked dry and is packed with flavor. You can also relish as a side dish with curd-rice, sambar rice or chapatti. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this regional delicacy.

           Raw Jackfruit or Kathal is a common and a favorite summer vegetable. It is cooked in various ways. It is a veggie in the unripe form and is known as a vegetarian's Non-Veg. dish as the texture resembles that of mutton. Raw Jackfruit as a vegetable, is high on proteins and low in calories. It also boosts our immunity and is a great meat substitute for the vegetarians. 

           This humble vegetable has not much found its way to the dinner table. However, one can make a variety of yummy dishes like appetizers, salad, bharta stir fries and also in a curry form. The seeds too are palatable and tastes very yummy after it is cooked. 

Ingredients - 

• 1 small size tender raw jackfruit, peeled & cut into small pieces
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt to taste
• 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. coconut oil
• 1 cup water

To grind  - 

• 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
• 3 green chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 4-5 shallots
• 3 dry red chilies
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Tempering - 

• 1 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 tsp. urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 8-10 shallots, chopped
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves, chopped

          Pressure cook the jackfruit pieces in 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder and 1 tsp. oil for 3-4 whistles. When cool, drain the water and mash them coarsely. Set aside. 

          In a mixer jar, add the coconut, shallots, curry leaves, green chilies, dry red chilies and 1/4 tsp. salt. Grind into a coarse paste and set aside. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and sauté the mashed jackfruit for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

          Heat remaining oil and temper with mustard seeds and dry red chili.  After the seeds crackle, add the urad dal and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

          Then add the chopped shallots and sauté till light brown. 

          Now add the coarsely ground coconut paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

         Then add the sautéed jackfruit and salt to taste. Mix everything well and continue to stir fry for 4-5 minutes on a low to medium flame.

          When done, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with steamed rice and sambar or as a side dish with parotta. 

In a mixer jar, add the coconut, shallots, curry leaves, green chilies, dry red chilies and 1/4 tsp. salt. 

                  Grind into a coarse paste and set aside. 

Pressure cook the jackfruit pieces in 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder & 1 tsp. oil for 3-4 whistles. 

               When cool, drain the water & mash them coarsely. Set aside. 

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan & sauté the mashed jackfruit for 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil & temper with mustard seeds and dry red chili. After the seeds crackle, add the urad dal & curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds.

                   Then add the chopped shallots & sauté till light brown. 

      Now add the coarsely ground coconut paste & sauté for 2-3 minutes. 

Then add the sautéed jackfruit & salt to taste. Mix everything well & continue to stir fry for 4-5 minutes on a low to medium flame.

                        When done, garnish with coriander leaves. 

Serve with steamed rice and sambar or as a side dish with parotta. 

Raw Jackfruit Tikki

 

          Raw Jackfruit or Kathal is a common and a favorite summer vegetable. It is cooked in various ways. So I bring to you this all time favorite appetizer or a tea-time snack in a tikki form prepared with raw jackfruit. You can also substitute it with potato or potato-paneer combination. So do try them and enjoy with sweet tamarind chutney, tomato sauce or green chutney. Do check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this amazing treat.

              Raw Jackfruit is a veggie in the unripe form and is known as a vegetarian's Non-Veg. dish as the texture resembles that of mutton. As a vegetable, it is high on protein and low in calories. It also boosts our immunity and is a great meat substitute for the vegetarians. 

               This humble vegetable has not much found its way to the dinner table.  However, one can make a variety of yummy dishes like appetizers, salad, bharta and also in a curry form. The seeds too are palatable and tastes very yummy after it is cooked. 

• 1 small jackfruit, boiled & mashed
• 1/3 cup roasted gram flour
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• oil to shallow fry

           In a mixing bowl, add all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil) and combine everything well.

          Divide the dough into equal portions. Take each portion and give it a round flat shape. 

          Make similar stuffed tikkis with the remaining dough and refrigerate for an hour. 

         Heat 1-2 tbsp. oil in a pan and shallow fry them in batches till golden brown in colour.

         Drain on a tissue paper and serve them hot as an appetizer with sweet tamarind chutney, green chutney or tomato sauce. 

         

Divide the dough into equal portions. Take each portion & give it a round flat shape. 

Heat 1-2 tbsp. oil in a pan & shallow fry them in batches till golden brown in color.

                         Drain on a tissue paper.

Serve them hot as an appetizer with sweet tamarind chutney, green chutney or tomato sauce. 

Echorer Rezala (Raw Jackfruit Curry - Bong style)

 

           This is a vegetarian version of the very popular Bengali / Bangladesh style Mutton / Chicken Rezala. So I made use of Echore (Raw / Green Jackfruit), which is a perfect meat substitute to make this yummy dish. The spices remain very much the same. This recipe calls for a gravy with a slightly thicker consistency. 

          With a nice aroma coming from the rose / kewra water and the creamy texture  from the use of milk and cream, this makes it a sure shahi dish. I skipped the traditional use of cashew nuts and yoghurt. It is mildly spiced, mostly coming from the ground green chilies. Enjoy it with naan, paratha, roomali roti, rice, pulao, etc. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

             Mutton Rezala and Chicken Rezala are two very traditional and popular Bengali style aromatic non-vegetarian dishes. It is cooked in a creamy yoghurt based gravy. 

          They are very much a part of the menu in many Bengali restaurants in and around Kolkata. The non-veg. version of this recipe is very popular in Bangladesh too.

            It is usually cooked in mustard oil and some ghee to give an authentic flavour to the dish. It is a great party recipe and is mostly cooked during special occasions. 

Ingredients - 

• 1 small raw jackfruit (Echore), cubed & boiled
• 2 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 tbsp. ghee
• 2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamoms
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp. roasted coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup cream
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp. rose / kewra water
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves 

To Grind - 

• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 1" ginger
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2-3 green chilies

          Grind the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies into a fine paste. keep aside. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan. Sauté the boiled jackfruit till light brown. Keep aside. 

          Heat remaining oil and ghee. Temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

          Add the ground onion paste and sauté till the oil separates.

          Then add the sautéed jackfruit and mix everything well. 

          Now add the milk, cream, salt to taste, roasted coriander powder, roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder. Give it a stir. 

          Cover and simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. Switch off the flame and add the rose water and coriander leaves.

           Serve with steamed rice, paratha or chapatti. You can also relish with naan, kulcha or tandoori roti. 

 Grind the onion, ginger, garlic & green chilies into a fine paste. Set aside. 

  Heat 1 tbsp. oil & sauté the boiled jackfruit till light brown. Keep aside. 

Heat remaining oil & ghee. Temper with bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves & cumin seeds. Sauté for a few seconds. 

                Add the ground onion paste & sauté till the oil separates.

                   Then add the sautéed jackfruit & mix everything well. 

 Add the milk, cream, salt, roasted coriander powder, roasted cumin powder & garam masala powder. Give it a stir. Cover & simmer on a low flame for 4-5 minutes. 

        Switch off the flame and add the rose water and coriander leaves. 

                     Serve with steamed rice, paratha or chapatti. 

             You can also relish with naan, kulcha or tandoori roti. 

Echorer Muri Ghonto (Green Jackfruit Cooked with Basmati Rice - Bong Style)

 

            Muri Ghonto or Fish Head Curry is a traditional Bengali cuisine prepared with fish head, some soaked rice along with some spices into a thick gravy. The quantity of rice can be adjusted according to individual preference. It can be made into a curry form or a pulao.

          But here is a vegetarian version of the said dish with raw / green jackfruit. This is a very good combination and it also goes by the name of Chaal Echore or Echorer Pulao, where the rice happens to be the predominant ingredient. You can also add some fried prawns in this recipe for a non-veg. variation.

              If making a pulao increase the quantity of rice and cook it in ghee. Traditionally, it is prepared with a local variety of rice called Gobindo Bhog, but in the absence of it you can make use of Basmati rice. Echorer Muri Ghonto can be enjoyed with either rice or chapattis. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this Bong delicacy.

• 1 small Echore (raw jackfruit), cubed
• 1/2 cup green peas (I used frozen ones)
• 1 potato, cubed
• 1/4 cup Gobindobhog / Basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes.
• 3 tbsp. mustard oil
• 1 dry red chili, broken
• 2 bay leaves
• 1" cinnamon stick
• 2-3 green cardamoms
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tomato, chopped
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. roasted coriander-cumin powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 2 green chilies, slit
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. ghee
• 1 tbsp. coriander leaves to garnish

           Pressure cook the raw jackfruit for one whistle. Keep aside. 

          Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a pan and fry the potatoes to light brown in colour. Drain and keep aside. 

          Add another tbsp. oil and sauté the boiled jackfruit for 2-3 minutes.  

          Heat remaining oil and temper with dry red chili, cumin seeds, bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves.

          Add the onion and sauté till light brown. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices mixed with 1/4 cup water. Sauté on medium flame till oil separates. 

          Add the chopped tomato and continue to stir fry till it is mashed nicely. 

    

          Now add the soaked rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Then add the sautéed jackfruit, green peas, fried potatoes, slit green chilies and 2 cups water.

          Cover and simmer till the potatoes and rice are done and the gravy is thick to a desired consistency. 

          Switch off the flame. Add ghee, garam masala powder and coriander leaves. Mix well and keep it covered for a couple of minutes. 

          Then serve with hot steamed rice, luchi (poori), chapatti or paratha.

                                  Pressure cook the raw jackfruit for one whistle.

                              Heat 1 tbsp. oil & fry the potatoes to light brown. Keep aside. 

                            Add another tbsp. oil & sauté the boiled jackfruit for 2-3 minutes.  

                      Heat remaining oil & temper with dry red chili, cumin seeds, bay 

                         leaves, cinnamon, cardamoms and cloves.

                                 Add the onion and sauté till light brown. 

                       Add the ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices mixed with 1/4 cup

                        water. Sauté on medium flame till oil separates. 

                             Add the chopped tomato & stir fry till it is mashed nicely. 

                            Add the soaked rice & sauté for 2 minutes.

                       Add boiled jackfruit, green peas, fried potatoes, slit green chilies .....

                          .... and 2 cups water. Cover & simmer till the potatoes & rice are done

                          & the gravy is thick to a desired consistency. 

                       Switch off the flame. Add ghee, garam masala powder & coriander 

                                leaves. Mix well & keep it covered for a couple of minutes. 

                                  Serve with hot steamed rice or chapatti / paratha.