Jackfruit seed and mango in coconut curry

Jackfruit is a fantastic fruit. We are fortunate enough to start seeing it during the season at the Indian, Asian and Mexican grocery stores. It's a pain to clean, but I can't resist the nuts. I particularly enjoy the seeds, when boiled, they are soft and similar to a Brazil nut. As a child, and still, I love snacking on these.

I have always come across jackfruit seed recipes in my collection of cookbooks, and so I decided to try one. As you know, I do like foods that are a step away from the usual.

This curry was excellent, with a sweet-sour flavour from the mango, the jackfruit seeds adding a nutty bite, and a delicately spiced flavour from the coconut curry.

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To digress again, watch this fantastic video to discover the art and science of tiffin delivery in Mumbai.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the spice paste:

2-4 green chilies, minced, or to taste

3 shallots

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1/2 cup grated coconut, frozen is fine

For the Jackfruit seed curry:

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 cup jackfruit seeds

1 cup green mangoes, peeled and diced into small bite sized pieces. The mangoes should tend to be more raw than ripe.

Salt to taste

Water as needed

3 tablespoons cilantro, minced

For tempering:

5-6 curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

3 tablespoons onions, finely diced

1-2 dried red chiles

3-4 tablespoons oil

Cook the jackfruit seeds in water with a touch of salt for 10-15 minutes. Cool and remove the plastic-like seed covering. Dice into large chunks. Set aside.

Add all the ingredients for the spice paste to a small blender and grind to a fine paste, using just enough water to make the paste smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a pot on medium heat. Add all the tempering ingredients and cook till the mustard seeds begin to pop, about 1 minute. Add the spice paste and cook until the paste dries up and the oil separates. Then, start to fry the curry paste. Fry for about 3-5 minutes on a medium to low heat, stirring continuously till you get a wonderful aroma and the paste looks cooked. You do not want to brown the paste.

Add the coconut milk, jackfruit seeds, mangoes, and salt. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Add water as desired, but aim for a relatively thick consistency, with the spices coating the mango and jackfruit seeds well. Taste and adjust for salt and chilli. Served topped with minced cilantro.