Jackfruit, a versatile treat from nature, is famous all across the world. Raw Jackfruit is considered as vegetarian meat and when this dish is cooked properly, it is one of the finest and richest curries in the world. Jackfruit is a low in calorie, full of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. My childhood is filled with many beautiful memories of having complete family meals with Jackfruit curry. My mom is fond of jackfruit to the core and her curry is the bomb! Over the years I have made this curry many times for friends and family who eat meat and even they had hard time believing that the dish was vegetarian/vegan due to its taste and texture similar to meat.
If you are vegetarian or vegan then you definitely need to try raw jackfruit in your diet. Raw jackfruit does not have any flavor of its own. You can basically make any dish taking jackfruit because it takes any flavor that you add to it. You can pan fry, deep fry, grill, bake or even pressure cook it. To be honest, options are endless. If this is your first-time making jackfruit then make sure you read this whole section prior making this curry.
Prepping jackfruit is quite a tedious process and I am here to guide you, so you can get this done smoothly.
- When it comes to jackfruit, I always get fresh vegetable. I don’t like frozen or canned for curries.
- Make sure you choose small to medium, young and tender raw jackfruit for best results.
- Before cutting the jackfruit, make sure you grease both of your hands and knife generously. The oil application helps prevent stickiness while cutting jackfruit.
- Cut the jackfruit from the middle. The cut one of the halves into big pieces and remove the thorny green skin part and then chop into small pieces.
- The inside part of the jackfruit is edible including the seeds.
- Roast the chopped pieces of jackfruit in oil for 5 minutes prior adding to curry for best texture.
Ingredients
For Masala
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tsp cloves
1 stick of cinnamon
1 tbsp black pepper
For Curry
1 medium raw jackfruit
2 onions
½ inch ginger piece
5 cloves of garlic
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tbsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
2-4 tbsp mustard oil
1-2 cup of water
¼ cup chopped cilantro for garnishing
Method
For Masala
Soak the dry masalas for 3-4 hours. Prior making the curry, remove excess water and grind into thick puree. Set it aside.
For Curry
Peel and cut jackfruit in medium size cubes. Wash and drain all the water. In a medium size pan, heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil and roast your jackfruit pieces for 5 minutes or until slightly roasted. Set it aside. This step is important to get the best texture of jackfruit in the curry. In a blender, add onion, ginger, garlic, and chilies and make puree. Set it aside.
Make in instant pot
Turn on instant pot to sauté mode. When hot add 2 tbsp mustard oil, bay leaf, onion-garlic-ginger-pepper puree, and sauté until brown. Add turmeric, chili powder, salt, and the pureed masala ingredients. Continue sautéing the gravy for another 5 minutes. Add 1.5 cup of water along with sautéed jackfruit and mix thoroughly. Close the instant pot lid and select Manual mode on high pressure for 5 minutes with vent closed. When done let the pressure release naturally. Serve hot with roti or rice.
Make in stovetop pressure cooker
In a pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of mustard oil. When hot add bay leaf, onion-garlic-ginger-pepper puree, and sauté until brown. Add turmeric, chili powder, salt, and the pureed masala ingredients. Continue sautéing the gravy until oil starts separating from the gravy. This process takes approximately 8-10 minutes. Add 2 cup of water along with sautéed jackfruit and mix thoroughly. Close the pressure cooker and cook until pressure cooker releases 3 whistle. Switch off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Serve hot with roti or rice.
Notes –
I only add 1 cup of water to cook this curry because I don’t like too much gravy in my curry. When you open instant pot or pressure cooker and if jackfruit isn’t cooked thoroughly, then cook for another 2 minutes in instant pot and another 1 whistle on stove top pressure cooker.
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