Summer is one season where we get a lot of seasonal fruits. Nature made summer hot, but also gave us fruits to naturally keep us cool . Starting with the most revered one – Mango! Some of the other fruits we find during summer – watermelon & musk melon are filled with water. Also, you find Jackfruits during summer. Today I got a few Jackfruits from a road side vendor.
Jackfruits are tough to crack and process. First, to crack the thorny shell is a big task. Once the shell is cracked, you start getting the latex or the milk which is sticky! Use oil on your hands to avoid the milk from sticking. Cutting the jackfruit is also a proper skill. Cutting it in such a way, that the inside fruits are not damaged. If you want to avoid all this, just go buy them from the streets where the vendor does the cutting for you.
The seed inside the fruit can be dried and later used like a potato and you can make dishes. People in Malnad and Coastal Karnataka areas make use of every part of jackfruit to make a variety of dishes. Starting from snacks, payasa (pudding) and what not. The raw / unripe Jackfruits are cut and used as vegetable for making curry and palya. Some people even make biryani using the unripe Jackfruit because the texture and taste resembles mutton.
The health benefits of jackfruit are never ending. Helps your gut and balances your hormones. Some people slice the jackfruit, add some jaggery, coconut and honey to make a kind of “panchamruta”. Eating it without any additions is what I like. If you find Jackfruits on the road, just pick a few and have them. You won’t get them round the year.
