Raw jackfruit is a fibrous vegetable that has a distinct taste. It is very commonly used in Kerala cuisine. whenever I tell my best friend I made vegetable biriyani, she says it is pulav, biriyani is made with meat. Some of my friends from Kerala tell me that green jackfruit can be used as a substitute for meat. I bought canned jackfruit a couple weeks ago and used it to make biriyani last week. I cooked the vegetable with spices, layered it with cooked rice and topped it with saffron infused milk, and dum cooked it for 30 minutes, just the way Mughals did. Oh what an aromatic and flavorful biriyani it was. I am sure my best friend would have been proud of me if she had tasted it (She lives thousands of miles away).
Ingredients:
2 Cups Basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
2 each of cardamom, and clove
1 20 oz. can of green jackfruit, drained and rinsed
1 inch cinnamon
2 cloves
2 cardamom
1 star anise
1 onion, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
2 teaspoons crushed ginger-garlic
3 green chili, crushed (adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon biriyani masala ( see below on note)
1-2 teaspoons red chili powder (paprika)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped mint
1/4 Cup yogurt
salt to taste
4 Cups water
10-15 strands of saffron, soaked in 1/2 cup warm milk
1 Tablespoon roasted cashew nuts
Method:
1. Cut the green jackfruit into small cubes. Steam cook with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and a teaspoon salt. You can cook in pressure cooker for 2 sounds. Remove from stove and set aside.
2. Drain water from rice. Boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Add 2 cardamom, 2 cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, and rice to the boiling water. Lower heat and cook rice until almost cooked. Drain water from rice. Fluff rice with a fork and set aside.
3. Take 1/4 cup yogurt in a bowl. Stir in chopped cilantro and mint leaves. Add 1 teaspoon salt and mix well.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large heavy bottomed pot. Caramelize 1 sliced onion until crisp. Spoon it on a plate for garnish.
5. In the same pot, heat 2 tablespoons butter or oil. Add cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and star anise. Saute for a minute.
6. Add crushed ginger- garlic and green chili. Saute for a minute. Add biriyani powder and saute for a minute.
7. Add 1 sliced onion and cook till translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft. Add turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Cook for a minute.
8. Add steamed jackfruit. Mix well. Cook for 2 minutes, until flavors are infused.
9. Stir in yogurt mixture. Check for salt and add if required. It should be a little salty. Add 1/4 cup water. Mix well.
10. Spread the vegetable on the bottom of the pot. Gently layer cooked rice over the vegetable.
11. Evenly pour the saffron milk over the rice.
12. Cover the pot with a lid. Seal edges with aluminium foil. Seal that with kitchen towel.
13. Remove from stove for a minute. Place a griddle on the stove. Heat griddle on high. Place the pot with biriyani on the hot griddle. Lower the heat to low medium. Slow cook for 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse. Open the lid. sprinkle caramelized onion and roasted cashews evenly on top of rice.
14. Remove from stove. Serve hot with salan (special gravy) or raita. You can see the slightly crispy bottom of the vegetable, then juicy vegetable layer and steamy rice layer on top.
Note:
1. Fresh green jackfruit can be used instead of canned. We do not find the fresh vegetable where I live. I buy frozen vegetable from the Indian stores or canned vegetable form Trader Joe's.
2. This way of slow cooking by sealing the lid is called dum pukht, which is letting the dish breathe in its own aroma and make the dish more flavorful by keeping the steam inside.
3. Biriyani Powder:
Blend the following ingredients to powder:
2 cardamom
3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 star anise (karan phool)
2 mace (javitri)
4 peppercorn
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