Jackfruit seeds masala vadai

Jackfruit is a species of tree in the mulberry family (Moraceae), which is native to parts of Southern and Southeast Asia. It is the national fruit of Bangladesh. Jackfruit is also found in East Africa e.g. in Uganda, as well as Northeastern Brazil. Young unripe Jackfruit can be used in cooking various dishes like curries and it was considered equivalent to meat for vegetarians. The texture of the cooked young jackfruit would be similar to cooked meat. The fruit is very sweet and it can be incorporated into various dishes like dosai, idli, and kheer. Semi ripe fruit can be cut and fried which makes very delicious chips. It can also be made into papads etc. So versatile, the jack fruit tree is famous for its wood and its leaves can be woven into a nice plate.The seeds can also be used in cooking. The seeds would give you around 135 kcal/ 100 gms. It is a rich source of complex carbohydrate, dietary fiber, vitamins like vitamin A, C and certain B vitamins, and minerals like calcium, zinc, and phosphorous. They contain lignans, isoflavones, saponins, that are called phytonutrients and their health benefits are wide-ranging from anti-cancer to antihypertensive, anti-ageing, antioxidant, anti-ulcer, etc. Jackfruit seed powder has the ability to relieve discomfort due to indigestion. Boiled Jackfruit seeds are a very tasty and nutritious snack. Boiled Jackfruit seeds can be used as an alternative to potatoes. Jackfruit seeds, which appeal to all tastes, may be boiled or roasted and eaten, or boiled and preserved in syrup like chestnuts. They can be canned in brine, in curry, and, like baked beans, in tomato sauce. They can also be included in curried dishes. Roasted, dried seeds are ground to make flour which is blended with wheat flour for baking.

Here is a recipe for a tea time popular snack. Masala vadai

You will need:

1 cup of Jackfruit seeds (cooked until soft)
1 cup of chana dal
2 table spoons toor dal
5-6 green chilies (or according to taste)
Salt to taste
2 table spoons chopped mint /dill leaves
1 medium red onion finely chopped
Oil for frying

This is how it looks before preparation:



This is how it looks when it is peeled:



Method:
To prepare the seeds: The seeds can be purchased at any Indian or srilankan speciality markets. Remove the outer white seed coating of the seeds. This is not edible. The inner seeds (the nut) is reddish-brown in colour. It may be sticky while preparing the seeds, apply a little oil to your hands and it prevents sticking.

Cook the seeds in salted water until very soft and set aside to cool

Soak the dals in water for about 2 hours.
Grind to a coarse paste the dals, chillies and salt. It should be very coarse and do not add too much water while grinding.
Mash the seeds using a potato masher. Add this to the dal mixture. Mix well.
Add the chopped onions, finely chopped herbs and keep it aside in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Heat oil in a pan. Remove the mixture from the fridge and divide them into small balls. Slightly wet your hands with water and flatten them on your palm. Fry these in hot oil. Drain them onto absorbent tissues.

The crispy masala vadai is ready to serve. Serve them with coconut chutney or ketchup.

Pineapple Semolina Pudding

This is a fruity version of the traditional Semolina pudding or the Rava Kesari that is very popular dessert of South India. The sugar content can be adjusted as the addition of pineapple makes it sweet by itself. This can also be prepared by adding the low calorie sweetner (Splenda or Stevia)

Ingredients:
1 cup fine semolina(fine sooji)
1 cup sugar
1 tin chopped pineapple or about 1 cup of fresh pineapple pieces
2 1/2 to 3 cups of water + about 1 cup of water as needed
1/2 cup pure ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup raisins + Raw Cashews
1 pinch of Saffron soaked in 1 tablespoon warm milk
1 pinch of food colour (orange or egg yellow)- dissolved in a little water
1 tea spoon ground cardamom.

Method: Dry roast the semolina on low flame, taking care not to burn. (The colour should not change to brown) Set aside for it to cool.
Boil the water in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add 1 tablespoon of the ghee to the water itself and set aside the remaining ghee. Boil the remaining 1 cup water separately and keep it ready for later use
Slowly add the sooji and keep stirring making sure that there are no lumps formed. Keep the heat at a low- this helps to control the splatter and prevent scalding.
close a lid and allow this to cook. If you think the consistency of the pudding is too dry, keep adding the reserved hot water and mix it thoroughly. This may not take too long to cook. Make sure this does not get burnt.
Add the sugar, pineapple and the juice from the can, the food colour.Mix it well.
In a pan, heat the remaining ghee and roast the cashews until golden brown. Add the raisins and fry for less than a minute or until they are plump add this to the pudding and mix it well. Add the ground cardamom and the saffron soaked in milk.
Now the pudding is ready to serve.

Note: The sugar can be adjusted to taste. For 1 cup of regular sugar, substitute it with 1/2 cup of sweetner
Always add hot water to the mixture. This prevents in forming lumps
Never add the food colour directly as it will not get distributed evenly. Always dissolve a little in water and then add it to the mixture. To be on a safer side, this can also be added in the beginning to the boiling water itself
1/2 spoon of pineapple essence can also be added to make it very fruity