JIHVA FOR JACKFRUIT - Jackfruit Burfi

I am very new to blogging and knew the least about all the wonderful events that happen here. So, when I accidentally but fortunately came across the mention of jihva event on Bee and Jai's Jugalbandi, I was thrilled. The ingredient made it even more exciting. I have never cooked with Jackfruit nor have I seen my mom do it. The only thing that mom cooked were the seeds. She made a poriyal out of it which tastes awesome. The collection of the seeds is an entire process by itself, our mom asking us to take the seeds out of the store bought jackfruit slices and keep accumulating them in a jar that she would keep on the kitchen countertop. This would go on for days until the jar gets considerable amount of seeds to be cooked. The most fond memory of all is getting a "pottalam" of jackfruit from the streets of kutraalam after a satisfying bath in the nearby falls and gobling them away while walking back home with my cousins. Well.. long gone but still pleasant enough to remember for the rest of the time. Having mentioned that I have no prior experience cooking with Jackfruit, the thought process of what to make for the event lingered on for a while I should say. I also have very bad experiences trying to make burfis, they are never in the right consistency and we always end up eating them as halwas. So, it dawned upon me that two negatives could turn to be a positive - "Jackfruit Burfi" was the answer to try jackfruits and get over my fear of making burfis. Well, the experience was wonderful and for the first time ever, my burfis turned out great. This is my recipe for the JFI event on Jackfruit hosted by Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi.

Ingredients:

Jackfruit - 1 cup
Cashews - 1/2 cup
Coconut - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1 tsp
Almonds (slivered) - 1/4 cup
Ghee - 1/2 cup



Method:

• Pressure cook Jackfruit and cashews with 1/2 cup of milk for a couple of whistles. Remove and let cool.
• In the mean time, toast the almonds in a little ghee. Also, grease a wide, slightly deep tray with a tsp of ghee.
• Grind the cooked jackfruit and cashews with coconut into a rough paste.
• Combine the remaining milk and the paste. Bring it to boil and add cardamom.
• Keep stirring till they reach a semi solid consistency. At this point add half of the ghee. Reduce heat to medium and keep stirring.
• When the paste begins forming into a mass and comes off the edges of the pan, add the remaining ghee.
• Keep stirring until they form a lump and does not stick to the edges.
• Remove from flame immediately and pour it into the greased plate and spread quickly.
• After it cools for 30 minutes, cut them into desired shape.
• Garnish with the toasted almonds and serve.

These burfis can be stored fresh in an airtight container for about 2-3 weeks.

Trivia Facts:

Jackfruit, Botanical name - "Artocarpus Heteroplyllus" is believed to have originated from the Indian rain forests and belongs to the family of mulberries. The tree is enormous in size and can bear fruits till 50 years. The most fruit bearing time is between the ages of 20 and 30. The fruit is considered to be a good source of protein, iron, calcium and vitamins. It is believed that jackfruit tends to be an acquired taste for most people and might not appeal to others who are not exposed to the taste.

For more nutrional information on Jackfruit, visit the nutrition data website

Visit the Purdue horticulture division link for a nice article on Jackfruit and some interesting photographs.