Raw jackfruit with Mutton

Ripe jackfruit is something which I dislike from the core of my heart. However my feelings just take a 180 degree turn when its raw. If a jackfruit is cracked open you can find pods inside it. Pods are nothing but a fleshy covering of the seeds. When it is raw the texture of the fleshy covering is remarkably similar to that of goat or lamb meat. This has made raw jackfruit an excellent vegetarian substitute for meat.

My todays post is about a jugalbandi of Goat meat and raw jackfruit. My dida (Grandmom) used to make it quite often. Years and continents later I encountered the same food in a Bistro named Rangoli in Vancouver, Canada. Even the taste matched it perfectly.

Ingredients

1. 1 can of raw jackfruit drained, washed and cut into meat sized chunks
2. 250gms of mutton on bone ( I have used goat meat )
3. 2 medium onion finely sliced
4. 1 tsp. ginger paste
5. 1 tsp. garlic paste
6. 2 medium sized tomatoes cut into quarters
7. 1 tsp.turmeric powder
8. 1tbsp. chili powder
9. 1tsp. sugar
10. Salt to taste
11. Oil
12. 1 tsp. bengali garam masala powder
13. For Tempering
1. 2,3 Bay leaves
2. 1” cinnamon stick
3. 2,3 cloves
4. 2 green cardamom pods.

Procedure

Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the jackfruit pieces till all the sides take a brown hue. Remove and keep them reserved.

If the oil remaining is sufficient for the rest of the cooking go ahead or else you can add little more to it.

Temper the oil with all the whole spices listed under tempering. Allow them to sizzle a bit. Now add onion slices to the fragrant oil and fry them on low heat till they turn light brown. This process is a bit lengthy. You can add a pinch of salt to the raw onion slices to make the process faster.

Add mutton pieces to it and sear them on high heat till it looses its raw color.

Add ginger garlic paste to it and sauté along with the mutton pieces. Next add tomato  to it along with turmeric and chili powder. Fry on medium heat till the tomatoes become mushy.

Season with salt and sugar. Cook it covered on low heat till the meat is half cooked. You can use your pressure cooker as well to make this quick.

Now add the jackfruit pieces you have already fried. Mix everything together. Give a taste test and adjust accordingly. Cook it covered till both meat and jackfruit are tender.This will have a thick gravy. So adjust the water either by boiling the extra off or by adding little more.

Sprinkle garam masala powder and keep it covered till you serve.