Jackfruit kebab

I used to love eating ripe jackfruit from the tree in my grandmothers house every summer back home. Here all we get is the over sweet ripe jackfruit soaked in sugar syrup. After a couple of washes it tastes ok but not close to the real one. For the JFI-Jackfruit event posted by Jugalbandi, I wanted to try something with raw jackfruit and that’s when I remembered the kebabs my friend makes with them. After a phone call, I started on this expedition. It came out well and tasted very close to meat kebabs, so it is a good vegetarian appetizer substitute. The kebabs can be shaped and refrigerated a day ahead and grilled/shallow fried when needed.


Ingredients:

Green raw jackfruit – 1 20 oz can
Potato – 1
Onion (chopped finely) – 1
Green chillies (chopped finely) – 2
Cilantro or Parsley(chopped finely) – ½ cup
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chilly powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric – a pinch
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Besan – 1 tbsp (optional)
Salt – as needed
Oil – 3 tbsp


Method:

Pressure cook the jackfruit and potato for about 2 whistles, drain water and mash finely. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add chopped onions and green chillies. Fry till the onions turn golden brown and add the ginger-garlic paste, chilly powder, turmeric, salt and garam masala powder. Fry for a minute and remove from heat. After it cools, add the onions to the mashed jackfruit-potato, add chopped cilantro or parsley and combine till it mixes well. Taste for salt and spice and add more if needed. Make kebabs of desired shape. I prefer flat patties. Refrigerate till ready to be cooked. Heat 1 tsp oil in a non stick pan and cook the patties till brown on both sides. More oil can be sprinkled on the side while cooking. Serve with chutney of choice.