I love jackfruit. Period. I neither get embarrassed by it, nor wonder at my choice. Being from the coastal side of India, my love for rice may have waned and my love for fish never really existed but my love for nature's other bounty just increased , not to be an obsession but a preference. I am passionate about mangoes, my first love being alphonso but others are loved as well. I absolutely love cashewnuts, salted, unsalted, on their own or in an usal. I have also been laughed at for this love, especially that for jackfruit. The raw one is eaten with love, but ripe one just gets a raw deal from some. I used to get hurt by comments on my love for ripe jackfruit. Now I just shrug off.
My mother prepares a lot of stuff by raw ones as well. There is a coconut chutney based mash, with a tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves that is enjoyed with dal and rice or a warm chapatti, there is a coconut curry but the ripe one is used along with pine apple and sometimes mango juice as "ansa fansa" (ananas is pineapple and fanas is jackfruit) with a base of coconut and raw mustard. Its a real deal for me. Most of my family members know that when I keep a particular dish aside when I am having lunch, its not because I don't want to eat it, but its because I want to relish it on its own in the end, at leisure. One is this, another one is Sasam, a typical GSB dish, with small ripe mangos, with coconut mustard base, or aai's takachi kadhi with bhajji. Before my mouth drools in memory, I will come to the Jackie chan.
So yesterday we went to Patel brothers. a friend at the park where I take Siddhaant swore by it. Though the groceries and prices seemed same as those where we normally buy, the real McCoy was Jackie. Incidentally we forgot to take a packet of essentials (read poha, the main ingredient of typical Maharashtrian instant lunch, dinner or breakfast), on the way, I saw him. I went near the counter, where there was a mild but distinct perfume (for those who love it) or stink (those who hate it), where it was cut into multiple 1/2 pound portions in cling film. I took one package and took a whiff. There are two reasons for it. I had taken a jackfruit once at Hmart and it was as synthetic as most Chinese vegetables are. Synthetic and disappointing. with just a hint of sweetness in a beautiful ripe yellow fruit. I remembered the piece then didn't smell that strong. But this one did. Almost hopeful I took one and rushed before my better (?) half finished his billing.
Later we went to a place where better (?) half found disappointing samosas and Mathura pedhas (pedhas looked good but tasted pasty, so I cant blame him, I didn't like them either).
When we came home, as I was stashing the green grocery, I got hold of the cling film wrapped Jackie. I took a deep breath and opened it. Ignoring another comment from my better (?) half, I digged my fingers to dislocate the outer half fruit. I put it in my mouth. I was instantly gratified and satisfied. This was no Hmart. This was definitely indian. The bite took me back to Goa, where we spent our childhood summers at Shri Shantadurga devasthan. The Jackfruit trees, strong and huge, laden with jackfruits from literally base to the top. Of jackfruit leather, of jackfruit as Prasad, of jackfruit as vegetable or just a delight on its own. Of applying coconut oil and opening a ripe jackfruit, cleaning it of its ripe contents, of its seeds used in a "pale bhaji". Needless to say, I polished off that piece. It brought me a sense of fullness that no other so called indian snacks could.
Needless to say, the seeds are saved to be added in the "shevga bhaji" or stir fried drumstick leaves. I hope to plan another visit, only to get hold of ripe jackfruit very soon.
My mother prepares a lot of stuff by raw ones as well. There is a coconut chutney based mash, with a tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves that is enjoyed with dal and rice or a warm chapatti, there is a coconut curry but the ripe one is used along with pine apple and sometimes mango juice as "ansa fansa" (ananas is pineapple and fanas is jackfruit) with a base of coconut and raw mustard. Its a real deal for me. Most of my family members know that when I keep a particular dish aside when I am having lunch, its not because I don't want to eat it, but its because I want to relish it on its own in the end, at leisure. One is this, another one is Sasam, a typical GSB dish, with small ripe mangos, with coconut mustard base, or aai's takachi kadhi with bhajji. Before my mouth drools in memory, I will come to the Jackie chan.
So yesterday we went to Patel brothers. a friend at the park where I take Siddhaant swore by it. Though the groceries and prices seemed same as those where we normally buy, the real McCoy was Jackie. Incidentally we forgot to take a packet of essentials (read poha, the main ingredient of typical Maharashtrian instant lunch, dinner or breakfast), on the way, I saw him. I went near the counter, where there was a mild but distinct perfume (for those who love it) or stink (those who hate it), where it was cut into multiple 1/2 pound portions in cling film. I took one package and took a whiff. There are two reasons for it. I had taken a jackfruit once at Hmart and it was as synthetic as most Chinese vegetables are. Synthetic and disappointing. with just a hint of sweetness in a beautiful ripe yellow fruit. I remembered the piece then didn't smell that strong. But this one did. Almost hopeful I took one and rushed before my better (?) half finished his billing.
Later we went to a place where better (?) half found disappointing samosas and Mathura pedhas (pedhas looked good but tasted pasty, so I cant blame him, I didn't like them either).
When we came home, as I was stashing the green grocery, I got hold of the cling film wrapped Jackie. I took a deep breath and opened it. Ignoring another comment from my better (?) half, I digged my fingers to dislocate the outer half fruit. I put it in my mouth. I was instantly gratified and satisfied. This was no Hmart. This was definitely indian. The bite took me back to Goa, where we spent our childhood summers at Shri Shantadurga devasthan. The Jackfruit trees, strong and huge, laden with jackfruits from literally base to the top. Of jackfruit leather, of jackfruit as Prasad, of jackfruit as vegetable or just a delight on its own. Of applying coconut oil and opening a ripe jackfruit, cleaning it of its ripe contents, of its seeds used in a "pale bhaji". Needless to say, I polished off that piece. It brought me a sense of fullness that no other so called indian snacks could.
Needless to say, the seeds are saved to be added in the "shevga bhaji" or stir fried drumstick leaves. I hope to plan another visit, only to get hold of ripe jackfruit very soon.
