Kadgi Chakko – A delicious Konkani side dish (Vegan + Gluten Free)

It is the start of the jackfruit season in India. Everywhere, millions of jackfruit trees are in celebration. While the younger trees bring forth just a few, the ancient matriarchs sometimes produce hundreds, covering their trunks and branches and even a few exposed roots with beautiful fruits. The fruits usually ripen in the months of April to July and people just love to eat the succulent yellow to orange to red colored honeyed pulp to their heart’s content. In the beginning of the season, however, the tender jackfruit is harvested to make several scrumptious side dishes as well as mouthwatering pickles. The tender fruits contain lots of dietary fiber and have been considered to be nature’s boon to mankind for longevity and good health. The fruit fibers clean out any sticky gluten from the stomach and the intestines, aiding proper bowel movement, and are reputed to prevent cancer.

Kadgi chakko is a traditional Konkani side dish to rice which is in fact so tasty, that it alone suffices for a person to consume a pile of steaming hot rice with gusto. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Traditional Konkani supper of paej (unpolished par-boiled rice gruel) with ambya phulla chutney (mango blossom chutney) accompanied by kadgi chakko (tender jackfruit side dish), kadgi podi (deep-fried tender jackfruit chips), papodu (papad), mirsange appolu (chili papad), chandrabale (or rakthabale, red banana), and odis (deep-fried, sun-dried spicy rice balls), and a lick of acerola cherry pickle.

Print Recipe

Kadgi Chakko Yum

A delicious, traditional Konkani, hot and savory tender jackfruit side dish.

Cuisine

Indian, Konkani

Prep Time

1 hour

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 750 gm tender jackfruit chunks devoid of skin and core (for cutting instructions, see note 1)
• 150 gm grated coconut
• 1 gm turmeric powder
• 7 gm dry hot red chilies
• 10 gm coriander seeds
• 5 gm split black gram lentils (urad dal)
• 10 gm tamarind
• 3 gm mustard seeds
• 2 gm fenugreek seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 30 ml coconut oil
• 15 gm salt

Cuisine Indian, Konkani Prep Time 1 hour Cook Time 45 minutes Servings servings Ingredients 750 gm tender jackfruit chunks devoid of skin and core (for cutting instructions, see note 1) 150 gm grated coconut 1 gm turmeric powder 7 gm dry hot red chilies 10 gm coriander seeds 5 gm split black gram lentils (urad dal) 10 gm tamarind 3 gm mustard seeds 2 gm fenugreek seeds 2 sprigs curry leaves 30 ml coconut oil 15 gm salt

Instructions

To prepare:

1. Put the tender jackfruit chunks into a curry vessel and tip in the turmeric powder.
2. Pour in enough water to cover the chunks fully and set the vessel on high heat.
3. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover partially with a lid.
4. Let the chunks cook slowly for 20 minutes. Take care to stir occasionally so that the chunks may cook uniformly.
5. At the end of 20 minutes, stick a knife into a chunk to see if it is done. If the chunks are still hard (a few varieties of jackfruit require more cook time), continue to boil for 5 more minutes (or until soft).
6. Switch off the heat and drain off the hot water. Crush the chunks thoroughly using a mortar and pestle and set aside.
7. Set a skillet or small pan on low heat. Pour in 10 ml (one-third) of the coconut oil. Tip in the split black gram lentils (urud dal) and the coriander seeds.
8. Break each red chili into two or three pieces and tip them in. Stir till the lentils turns a light brown in color.
9. Put the grated coconut together with the contents of the skillet into your food processor. Tip in the tamarind and the salt. Do not add any water.
10. Grind for 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to stir the mixture.

To cook:

1. Set a thick cast-iron wok or a non-stick wok (see note 2) on high heat.
2. Pour in the remaining coconut oil (20 ml / two-thirds) and throw in the mustard seeds.
3. As soon as the mustard seeds are about to finish crackling, tip in the fenugreek seeds. Pull the curry leaves off their sprigs and throw them in.
4. Tip in the crushed jackfruit and stir thoroughly. Add the ground paste and mix well.
5. Now lower the heat and cover with a lid. Stir occasionally.
6. After 5 minutes, remove the lid and let the excess water evaporate over a period of 30 minutes, while the chakko roasts slowly.
7. Switch off the heat. Serve kadgi chakko hot with rice. Bon appétit!

Recipe Notes

1. Tender jackfruit, which is around 20 cm (8-inches) to 25 cm (10-inches) in size is ideal for making kadgi chakko. On plucking, it is best to leave the fruit horizontally on the ground for the excess gum to drip off. A few sheets of old newspaper or a piece of cardboard to place over the cutting board, a few more bits of newspaper to crumple and use for wiping the gum, and a couple of sheets to roll up the waste for disposal are required. A sharp knife greased with oil together with a small bowl of cooking oil to grease your hands, and you are ready for the cutting.

   After greasing your hands, cut the jackfruit breadthwise across the center into halves. Use the crumpled paper bits to wipe off the gum. Cut each half lengthwise successively into halves, quarters and one-eighth sections. After wiping off the gum, slice off the skin, remove the whitish core (the pith is too full of fiber) carefully with your knife. Discard the skin and the core. Chop the jackfruit pieces roughly to chunks and drop them into a vessel half full of water.

   

2. It is best to use a thick cast-iron wok in the traditional Konkani way as it enhances the taste and ensures the presence of soluble iron in your diet for your body to assimilate easily. If unavailable, just use a non-stick wok.