During my grandmas time, coconut was grinded in a stone grinder or “ammi kal” as it is known in Malayalam. This gives the most wonderful earthy flavor and sometimes I love to go the traditional way to make authentic Kerala dishes.
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Raw Jackfruit Curry
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Raw jackfruit is chopped and cooked, fresh coconut grinded coarsely is added to the cooked jackfruit, then seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves etc in farm fresh coconut oil.
Ingredients
- Jackfruit raw flesh/Chakka chula: 1/2 kg
- Water to cook the fruit: about 1/2 cup or maybe a little more.
To grind:
- Coconut scraped: 1 cup.
- Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp.
- Shallots: 3 or 4.
- Green chilli: 3 or 4.
- Garlic cloves: 2 or 3 (optional)
To temper:
- Coconut oil: 1 tbsp.
- Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp.
- Shallots (cheriya ulli): 2 or 3, slit.
- Whole red chillies broken: 2.
- Curry leaves: 2 sprig.
- Salt to taste.
Instructions
- Chop the jackfruit flesh or you can cut into big chunks and once cooked mash it up…but personally I prefer this way.
- Heat coconut oil in a pan or kadai, add in shallots, broken red chillies, and curry leaves. Saute for a minute or two.
- Then add in chopped jackfruit flesh.Stir/mix well. Add water and salt, cover and cook, on medium to low flame.
- While it is cooking, into a stone grinder or “ammi kal” add in the freshly scraped coconut, garlic, shallots, green chillies, and turmeric powder.
- Grind coarsely. Alternately you can use ur small electric grinder, but I prefer to do the traditional way.
- Open the kadai, if needed add some more water, mix well, make sure it does not stick to the bottom and get burnt. Add the coarsely grinded coconut into this. Cover the lid for a min….Then mix and mash it.
- Serve hot!!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Side
- Cuisine: South Indian
Frequently Asked Questions
What does raw jackfruit taste like before cooking?
Raw jackfruit on its own is quite neutral, almost starchy, with a mild vegetal flavor. That is exactly what makes it such a good canvas here. Once you cook it with the shallots, broken red chillies, and curry leaves in coconut oil, and fold in that coarsely ground fresh coconut paste with turmeric and green chilli, it absorbs everything and takes on a rich, earthy depth. Do not expect the sweetness of ripe jackfruit, these are two completely different ingredients.
Can I use a blender instead of a stone grinder for the coconut paste?
Yes, a small electric blender works fine if you do not have an ammi kal at home. Add the scraped coconut, garlic, shallots, green chillies, and turmeric to the blender and pulse just a few times. You want the mixture coarsely ground, not a smooth paste. Over-blending gives you something closer to coconut cream, which will change the texture of the curry. Stop when it is just broken down and still has some texture to it.
How do I know when the jackfruit is cooked through?
Add water and salt after mixing the chopped jackfruit with the tempered spices, then cover and cook on medium to low flame. Check it every few minutes and stir to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. The jackfruit is ready when it is soft enough to press with a spoon. Once the coconut paste goes in, cover for another minute, then mix and mash lightly to your preferred texture. Serve hot right away.
