Jacky is a familiar fruit for us in Kerala because it grows mostly uninvited in the backyards of Kerala households. a totally non fuss fruit ready to lend its sweetness and goodness to all and sundry. while many of us love the fresh fruit and the seeds fried in oil and coconut slices, we do shun the strong and stubborn smell it exudes. people tend to ignore this benign infinitely buxom fruit (one fruit can weigh as much as 45 kg!) and i've seen it rotting in many a backyard.
Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh. it is predominantly found in Asia and the tropical lowlands of Brazil and Africa. it has a tough prickly skin which is studded and rough. you cut open and find a mesh of events within. the fibrous mass are the rags and enmeshed are the fleshy bulbs which enclose the seed. the seed is covered by a light yellow membrane which can be fried and eaten and it tastes very good.
Jacky is rich in protein, carbs, vitamins, potassium, phytonutrients all of which help the health wisely.
The raw fruit is fried as in the pic and steam cooked like kappa vevichathu. so when my mum sent me a portion of the big fruit by Air India along with some fried chips it was my first time cutting it up! i quite liked it and i like such messy stuff...it's nice to see the filth clearing away..i threw off the bark, sectioned the fruit out carefully and scooped the seeds. had the bulbs fresh and fried the seeds, slicing them fine, boiling, draining and frying them in coconut oil with curry leaves, crushed garlic and shallots, turmeric and chilli powders, pepper and salt.
To make jacky chips you got to cut them fine (as in the pic). heat oil nicely. reducing the flame only a wee bit put them in, and they sizzle. add salt to it two-three mins later. take them out of oil before they brown. put them back again and jiggle them in the oil before lifting them out finally. this last step makes the chips crunchier and crispier.
There's a whole range of snacks and sweets that we make out of it like halwa, varattu, ada, thiyal...my mum in law makes them all...not me, oh yea!!
