Jack of all fruits
DID YOU KNOW THAT JACKFRUIT IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST FOOD TRENDS OF 2017? THIS IS AS PER PREDICTIONS BY PINTEREST— THE FAVOURITE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM OF FOOD LOVERS, WORLD OVER
Ajackfruit can weigh up to hundred pounds and can even grow up to two or three feet tall. India is the largest producer of jackfruit, especially Kerala. When I was in Kerala, I saw huge fruits growing on very tall trees and wondered how one would go and pluck them. The jackfruit has become the go-to ingredient for vegetarians and vegans, as it can act as a perfect substitute for meat. Not many know this but there are seven to eight varieties of jackfruit. Oh, and it is the national fruit of Bangladesh. As for cooking, both the ripe and unripe varieties are used. A ripe jackfruit would have multiple flavours — like that of pineapple, apple, mango and banana. It can be made into chips and can also be used as paste in idli, dosa and uttapam batter. One can also make sweets such as jams, payasam and ravakesari. Raw or unripe jackfruits are used to make biryani and other curries. You can cook several meat recipes using the unripe jackfruit as it has a meaty texture, with meat masalas such as garam masala. Meat lovers, who want to turn vegetarian, will find jackfruit extremely useful and delicious. While peeling the jackfruit, ensure you apply oil on the hands to avoid the stickiness. Once cut, the fruit oxidises rather quickly, much like potatoes. Hence, it’s important to start cooking almost immediately. Cook it like tender lamb — two whistles and 10 minutes of boiling should do. Add turmeric powder and tamarind juice while boiling it for an extra flavour. Apart from high protein, jackfruit is also rich in fibre and vitamin-B6. The seeds of the fruit are extremely useful to cure digestion problems and they are also high in protein,Vitamin A, and have anti-cancer properties. One can even dry the seeds in the sun and use it.