Jackfruit may not share the same popularity as mangoes, but most people from the southern states of India would agree that it's hard to resist this homegrown fruit, which can be eaten and served both raw and cooked.
Early monsoons also mean that ripe jackfruit is easily available at affordable prices.
In Udupi, Karnataka, where pelakkai or jackfruit is available in abundance, a variety of dishes are made using the tropical fruit.
Kumudini Shetty's Pelakkai Gatti (in Tulu) or Jackfruit Steamed Cake, is a traditional preparation in which ripe jackfruit is steam cooked in almond leaves with grated coconut, ground rice and jaggery.
It can be stored in an airtight container and eaten for up to two to three days.
Pelakkai Gatti
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups ripe jackfruit, without the seeds
- 1 to 1½ cup parboiled or idli rice
- ¾ cup grated coconut
- ½ cup grated jaggery
- 5-6 almond or teak leaves, cleaned and dried
- Pinch salt
- 2 tbsp ghee for serving
- Pinch black pepper powder, optional
- Rice flour, optional
To serve
- Ghee or jaggery or chutney or honey
Method
- Clean and soak the rice in water for 10 minutes.
Drain the water and allow it to dry a bit.
Grind to a coarse mixture.
Keep aside. - In a blender, grind the jackfruit to a smooth paste without adding water.
In a bowl, add this to the rice powder.
Mix well and check for sweetness.
Add the jaggery as required and mix well.
Add the grated coconut, a pinch of salt and the pepper powder.
Mix well and check for consistency.
Add the rice flour if necessary to get a thicker consistency.
The mixture should be semi-solid and not too watery.
Cover and set aside for 15 minutes. - Take an almond leaf and place one ladle of the batter in the centre.
Fold the corners to secure the batter and place it face down.
Repeat for the rest of the batter.
Keep aside. - In a steamer or idli maker, heat 2-3 cups water.
Place the gattis or steamed cakes in idli moulds.
Cook over medium to high heat for 35-40 minutes.
Take off heat and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Open the lid and separate the gattis from the leaves.
Cut into small bite-sized pieces.
Serve hot with dollops of ghee, jaggery, chutney or honey. - If you do not plan to consume the gatti immediately, do not open the leaves.
After they cool, place them in an airtight container or refrigerate to store them.
Before serving, warm up in a microwave or steamer for a few minutes.
Note: You may replace rice with rawa or semolina.
If you are using rawa, slightly steam the rawa without adding any water for 15-20 minutes.
Mix this into to the jackfruit puree. The rest of the procedure remains the same.
However, since rawa cooks faster compared to rice, you may reduce overall cooking time by 5-10 minutes.
After placing them in the steamer, cook over medium to high heat for 30 minutes.
For a vegan version use oil or cashew butter instead of ghee.
For a less sweet version reduce the amount of jaggery.
