Last Updated on January 12, 2022 by Sindhu
An easy recipe for Jackfruit biryani using raw green jackfruit pieces, rice and spices. This dish is both vegetarian and Gluten-free.
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When I first tasted the Jackfruit Biryani, it was hard for me to believe that it was green jackfruit pieces and not goat meat. Such is the similarity between green jackfruit and meat. It becomes very juicy once cooked, giving the dish a beautiful texture and flavor.
When cooked with perfect spices and fragrant basmati rice, it can easily pass for Mutton Biryani or Goat Biryani.
Along with the biryani, Jackfruit curry is also a must-try dish.
A little bit of jackfruit
Jackfruit is a fruit that thrives in tropical weather. Even though it is native to southern India, it can be found in a few other tropical countries with suitable weather conditions.
The exterior of Jackfruit looks quite spiky and the inside is soft yellow flesh surrounding the seeds. The fruit along with seeds are edible.
The leaves of the jackfruit trees, which contain certain health benefits are also used to steam food.
What does Jackfruit taste like?
The ripe jackfruit which is in yellow color, taste very sweet and it has a peculiar smell that is somewhat similar to bubblegum. It is very fruity and sugary and feels like a mix of overripe bananas and apples.
Whereas the raw or green jackfruit is bland in taste and doesn’t have any flavor. Hence it is best for cooking as the raw jackfruit can easily take in all the spices. Once cooked, its texture will be similar to meat.
A lot of vegan burgers have green Jackfruit as an ingredient that can easily substitute pulled pork.
Now let’s get some Biryani cooking..!
The main steps in cooking Jackfruit Biryani
In general, Biryani can be cooked in 2 ways. The first method is where you boil the rice along with the added protein or vegetables. And the second method is “Dum cooking”where you slow cook the partially boiled rice over meat or vegetables.
So I will be following the Dum (slow cook) method for this recipe of Jackfruit Biryani to bring out the maximum taste and flavor.
Main Ingredients
- Green or Raw Jackfruit: I will be using frozen Green Jackfruit cubes for this recipe. You can easily substitute them with canned or fresh jackfruit. About 1.5 inch long cubes are ideal for the biryani. And also you should make sure that the jackfruit is not at all sweet in taste.
- Basmati rice: Basmati rice plays a very important role in any kind of Biryani irrespective of the protein added to the dish. Make sure you use high quality long grain rice for a tasty and fluffy rice.
- Spices: A good Biryani requires the right amount of spices. You can either use freshly ground spices or store-bought spice blends.
Steps to follow:
- Frying the raw jackfruit pieces: Jackfruit pieces can sometimes be a little sticky and frying(either deep-fry or pan fry) gets rid of that, along with adding a nice golden color and texture.
- Cooking the jackfruit: The fried jackfruit pieces are then made into a curry by adding onion, tomatoes, and a few other spices. This will ensure that the jackfruit pieces are cooked well.
- Cooking rice: Soaked basmati rice is cooked till it is 80% done and drained.
- Layering and slow-cook: Partially cooked basmati rice is then layered on cooked jackfruit and slow-cooked till perfection.
- Resting: Once the cooking is done, resting the dish by not opening the lid ensures that the steam is optimally condensed into the dish.
Now let’s check out the recipe!
Raw Jackfruit Biryani – Kathal Biryani
Course: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Medium4
servings15
minutes45
minutes10
minutes1
hour10
minutesA fragrant Vegetarian rice dish with Raw green Jackfruit cubes and Basmati rice, cooked with Indian Spices.
Ingredients
1 lb Green Jackfruit pieces (cut into 1.5-inch cubes)
2 cups Basmati Rice
2 tbsp oil
Oil to deep fry
2 tsp ghee
1 medium-size onion
1 medium-size tomato
1/2 cup Yogurt
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Garam masala or Biryani masala
2 tsp Red chili powder
2 tsp Salt
1tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1/4 cup chopped Mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped Cilantro
1 tbsp Saffron milk
Whole spices: 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 1/4 inch cinnamon, 1 tsp shahi jeera.
1/2 cup fried onions
Directions
- Soak 2 cups of Basmathi rice for 30 minutes.
- Take enough oil in a pan and deep fry the green Jackfruit cubes until they are golden brown. Or you can shallow fry them in a pan.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, add 1 tbsp oil. Then add chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
- Add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, chopped tomato, and salt.
- Once the tomato is cooked, add chili powder, garam masala, or biryani masala and yogurt (Vegan version can use coconut milk or cream).
- Add fried jackfruit cubes and cook for 10 minutes.
- Next, take a big pot with enough water (approx 8 cups) to boil 2 cups of rice.
- Add whole spices, salt, and 1 tbsp oil to water. Add a sufficient amount of salt, so that water becomes salty.
- When water starts to boil, add the soaked rice and cook till it’s 80% done. Then drain and keep aside.
- Layer the boiled rice on top of jackfruit curry and top it with fried onions, cilantro, mint leaves, ghee, and saffron milk.
- Now cover with a tight heavy lid and slow cook on medium heat for 10 mins and on low heat for 15 minutes.
- The biryani will be ready after 10 minutes of resting time for the steam to subside.
Notes
- Fresh green jackfruit makes a lot of difference in taste when compared to frozen.
