Jackfruit and coconut stir fry

Conventionally, called idichakka thoran in malayalam, it makes use of the small, raw and tender jackfruits. We use a kadai (also called karahi) for putting this together. It is a thick and deep cooking vessel made from stainless steel or wrought iron, in favour here. It is the approved cooking pot for preparing tadka or the tempering. Tadka is a process in which spices are heated in hot ghee or oil. This seasoning is then added either at the beginning of cooking or at the end of preparation of a dish. The usual spices that are tempered are red chili, mustard and cumin seeds. The hot oil causes them to sputter and helps to retain the aroma and flavor of the whole or ground spices.

The integrant of Mom's finger-licking stir fry...

Raw, tender jackfruit - 1 small

Ghee or coconut oil - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Raw rice - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaf - a few

Onion - 1

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Water - 1/4 cup

Coconut, grated - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green chili - 1

Turmeric powder - a tad

The practice..

Cleave the jackfruit and shred the insides into small pieces with a sharp knife. There will be around 4 cups of the shredded fruit. Slice onion into small bits.

Grind coconut, cumin seeds, green chili and turmeric powder very briefly (for two seconds). Reserve for later.

In a kadai, assemble the tadka. When the kadai heats up, add ghee. Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add raw rice. When the rice fattens and becomes reddish, throw in the curry leaves. Add in the jackfruit, salt and water. Stir to mix and cover so that the steam cooks the jackfruit. Stir frequently, cooking until all the water evaporates and the jackfruit softens. Make a small well of space in the middle of this, wherein the coconut mixture is added. Cover with the rest of the jackfruit and cook covered on low flame for 5 minutes. Intermingle everything and wait for the water to dry up before taking off from heat. Revel in the meaty fruit alongside chapati or rice.