Mashed Jackfruit Seeds

Do you have a dish the mere thought of which that takes you back to your childhood days? Well, I have one of those and it is this dish that I’m gonna share with you today. When I was in school, I and my siblings used to spend most of our summer vacations at my mom’s village home. One of my mamas (maternal uncle) still stays there with his family. So we still visit the village whenever we can; though not as frequently as we did during my childhood. Some of my best childhood memories are associated with this village. Of course, the ones I remember most are associated with food!

Now my mami (mama’s wife) is a heavenly cook whose cooking can turn absolute haters of some particular veggies into pure lovers of them. Whenever we used to visit her, she would ask what we wanted for lunch each day. This dish was one of my frequent requests. The major ingredient might be a bit difficult to find; but once you find it, do not leave until you grab enough to last you at least two meals (I’ll share another wonderful recipe casting this ingredient as the star later J ).

So, the other day, on our weekend grocery shopping spree, I and my husband located these beauties at the local supermarket and immediately bought a packet. Oh! The weekend meal was a delightful walk down memory lane when I tried to recreate my mami’s magic….albeit with my own touch!

Ingredients:

Jackfruit seeds: 10-12

Onion: 1 (finely chopped)

Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)

Mustard oil: 1 teaspoon

Salt: as per taste

Method:

Peel the jackfruit seeds to remove their outer white casing. Wash the seeds thoroughly and boil them in sufficient water for a good 15-20 mins (these seeds are quite hard and require boiling for longer duration). Remove from water and let them cool. Grind the boiled seeds in a grinder to form a thick coarse paste. Mix chopped onions, chopped green chillies, salt and the mustard oil and voila! We are done. Enjoy it as a side dish with rice, dal (pulses) and vegetables.

* My mami used to boil the seeds along with dal in a pressure cooker and then mash them with her hands which lent this dish its own unique taste. If you are using her method, make sure to let them pressure cook until 7-8 whistles so they turn real soft…soft enough to mash them with your hands. And DO NOT wash the dal off them. That is what will lend it its unique flavor…mami way!!

** Oh by the way, the bowl that you see is made of bell metal….. very traditional Assamese crockery. Got a complete set of these utensils during my wedding and I treasure them more than my jewellery J…..Doesn’t the bowl look lovely with that golden sheen?

Love,

Anjali D.