Home on my Range: Jackfruit Biriyani

Friday, June 21, 2019

Jackfruit Biriyani

A vegetarian biryani is a novelty in itself. Making it with jackfruit or kathal as they call it in India, lets the flavors soar. I came across this concoction at the now defunct Devi restaurant in New York. Geets and I wanted to savor Suvir Saran's solo venture. Gobi manchurian arrived with a flourish. Kababs melted in your mouth. A triangular molded mound of reddish brown rice arrived on a pristine white plate. Crisp fried okra garnished the rice. Breaking into the mound, revealed a meaty interior, small jackfruit triangles nestled in the rice. The taste was divine. We oohed and aahed. It was love at first bite.

Geets knew how enamored I was. For my fiftieth birthday she experimented with a similar version. The recipe called for fresh jackfruit. Living in a remote Kentucky town, I'm not sure how she sourced this exotic vegetable! It isn't easy to work with. It has a hard pokey exterior. When cut, it oozes a sticky sap, which irritates the skin. The flesh is fibrous with large seeds. How do I know this? I have seen it in my childhood. And I knew Geets would have struggled with these issues! She did! The veggie was discarded due to incorrect handling! With her fingers and palms in bad shape, she expectantly moved to the canned variety. With success! The biryani was waiting for me. We spooned some on to plates. My son dug into his with gusto, relishing every bite. And then told Geets the pork tasted delicious!

I too use canned jackfruit. It is easy to work with, always within arms reach. Rinse it well and add it to the Indian quartet of onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Spice powders add necessary flavor. Basmati rice is the base layer. Jackfruit masala lays over the rice. Two more layers of rice and masala and a sprinkle of fried onions. The biryani bakes. We salivate.

JACKFRUIT BIRYANI

Adapted from Suvir Saran

Serves 4

1 can green Jackfruit

2 cups Basmati Rice

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

2 tablespoons Canola Oil

2 large Onions

3 Ginger slices

4 Garlic cloves, minced

5-6 Plum Tomatoes

1 tablespoon Tomato paste

1/2 teaspoon Turmeric

1/2 teaspoon Chile powder

1 tablespoon Coriander powder

1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon Garam masala

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

# tablespoons Lime Juice

3 tablespoons Cilantro leaves

1/2 cup Fried Onions

Rinse jackfruit in cold water and keep aside.

Wash rice well till water is clear.

Add 4 cups water to rice. Bring to a boil. Cover with a lid. Turn the flame to very low and cook for 14 minutes. Open lid and fluff rice with a fork.

Slice onions thinly.

Puree fresh tomatoes.

Heat canola oil in a deep saucepan.

Add onions to hot oil and saute till light brown.

Add ginger slices and minced garlic to onions and saute for a minute.

Add tomato puree and paste to onions and saute well. Allow tomato to simmer for 5 minutes. ( I had frozen plum tomatoes. I peeled the skin off and added them to the onions. They turn into a puree like consistency in a few minutes.)