If you are a jackfruit lover, this is one recipe you should not miss!!! This unusual yet exotic rice dish is a vegan/ vegetarian delight that is super easy and quick to make. The best thing about this dish is you only need one pot to cook it! That means fewer dishes to wash!
The chunks of marinated jackfruit are well cooked until fork-tender and literally melt in your mouth. Chunks are then layered with aromatic basmati rice for a finger-licking biriyani using a rice cooker. I used canned jackfruit for convenience but you can also use raw jackfruit to make this dish, however, be mindful that you need to cook raw jackfruit in a pressure cooker until tender before cooked with basmati rice. This rice dish can stay in the fridge for 2 -3 days and will fix up your weekday lunches!
Green jackfruit is an exotic vegetable in South Asia and is considered as vegetarian meat because of its meat-like texture and flavour. The tender jackfruit is used to prepare curries and biryani while the semi-ripe fruit is used to prepare chips. The fully ripe jackfruit is devoured as a fruit. The seeds of the jackfruit are edible and usually boiled, cooked into curries or roasted over hot coal and eaten.
Here is how to make Jackfruit Biryani.
Ingredients
- 565g canned raw tender jackfruit pieces
- 4 cups Basmati Rice
- 4 medium Onions – thinly chopped
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- water or vegetable broth as required to cook the rice
- 6 tbsp olive oil or gee
- 2/3 cup plant-based yoghurt
- 6-7 green chillies split in half (deseeded if like)
- 1 cup fresh mint and coriander leaves
Spices:
To marinate the Jackfruit pieces;
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp masala powder
- 1 tsp ginger garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
To cook the Jackfruit/rice;
- 4 Bay leafs
- 1 tsp whole black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 2 tbsp biryani masala (Or 5 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamoms, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 starnie
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
Method;
- Add the jackfruit pieces into a large bowl and add all the spices ‘to marinate jackfruit’. Mix well and set aside for 1- 2 hours.
- Rinse the rice and set aside. Soak for 15 – 20 minutes if needed depending on the brand.
- Remove the pot from the rice cooker and place it on the stovetop. Set it up on medium heat.
- Pour the oil and when it is ready, add onions, ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and bay leaves and stir gently. Cook until onion change to golden in colour.
- Add all the spices (except salt) and saute for 2 -3 minutes. It is important not to burn the spices. Lower the heat if required.
- Add yoghurt and let it cook for another 2 -3 minutes. Add a little bit of water if required.
- Add tender jackfruit pieces and stir well until all the spices and yoghurt is coated evenly on the pieces. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for another 10 -15 minutes or the jackfruit pieces are very tender.
- Turn the heat off.
- Add the rice into the jackfruit curry and mix gently. Add salt and enough water or vegetable broth to cook the rice and set the rice cooker as per the manufacture’s instructions.
- Once cooked, serve into bowls, garnish with mint and coriander leaves and enjoy!
- Best served with a mint rita and pappadams.