Kathal/Jack Fruit Biryani

My inspiration for today's recipe is from a Arabian/Mughlai restaurant called Majlis located at Kalyan-nagar, Bengaluru, must try biryani here are the rampur chicken biryani, jack fruit and yakni biryani. 

Mom would prepare many traditional dishes using raw jack fruit but never tried to prepare a biryani before this was my very first attempt to prepare this dish and it was truly a feast. In my opinion jackfruit biryani is one of the best vegetarian mains one can prepare and serve at a party or for a large family gathering. 

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Ingredients:
300 Grams Raw Jack fruit
3 Green Chilies
300 Grams Basmati Rice/ 2 Cups Rice
1 Star Anise, 3 Cloves, 2 Inch Stick Cinnamon
3 Cardamoms, 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Bayleaf.
Fist Full Fresh Mint and Coriander Chopped
1 Cup Yogurt (Plain yogurt)
2 1/2 Large Onions
2 Tbsp Chilly Powder
1/2 Tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Dhania/Coriander Powder
1 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste
Oil as required
Salt as per taste.

Please click here for ginger and garlic paste recipe...

Prep Up:
Peel, wash and slice the onions.
Use a very sharp knife and apply oil to your hands, knife and chopping board before chopping the jack fruit.

Chop the jack fruit into 3 portions remove the outer skin and also remove the center stem use only the vegetable.

After chopping the vegetable into bite size cubes place in a bowl of water this will avoid the vegetable from discoloration. Place a wok on medium flame add 2 to 3 cups oil.

Once the oil reaches smoking point drain one small batch of jack fruit place on tissue paper or kitchen towel to remove excess water.

Gently drop the pieces of vegetable in hot oil and fry till light golden brown in color fry the entire batch of vegetable and reserve on a tissue paper to remove excess oil.

Using the same oil fry the entire batch of onions, once the onions turn light brown in color drain and reserve on a tissue paper.

Method:

Marinate the jack fruit ahead of time also avoid using extra bowls and dishes just for marination, I happen to remove excess fried oil and reserved 2 tbsp of oil in the wok and added all the ingredients and marinated the jack fruit in the wok itself.

What did I add for marination?

Add ginger and garlic paste, chilly powder, fried onions, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilies, mint and coriander, yogurt, whole spices 1 Star Anise, 3 Cloves, 2 Inch Stick Cinnamon

3 Cardamoms, 1 Black Cardamom, 1 Bayleaf and fried jack fruit. Mix all the ingredients do not add salt allow the vegetable to marinate for 1 hour.

Wash the rice thrice add water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain the excess water add rice to the pressure cooker add milk, water and salt along with 1 tbsp ghee place the lid and whistle allow the rice to cook for 3 whistles or 5 Minutes on high flame.

Liquid measure for rice: for every 1 cup rice add 1 1/2 cup liquid. If your rice ratio is 1 cup add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup milk.

Once my rice has cooked and the pressure has reduced fluff the rice/ gently mix the rice and remove lumps reserve.

Place the marinated jack fruit on medium flame add salt and 1 1/2 cups water cover and cook.

The moisture content in the vegetable should reduce and the oil should surface the masala base is ready for layering.

I'm using a microwave safe dish to prepare this biryani we can also use a oven proof dish or we can use a regular pressure cooker and also bake on stove this totally depends on the method you want to dum cook. Since we stay in a apartment we cannot dum cook on coals using micro oven is a safer option for my family.

In the microwave dish layer the masala vegetable for the first layer. then the rice and repeat the process for 2 more layers cover the lip and place in the microwave for 5 minute after 5 minutes place the heat setting on high and bake again for 5 minutes. Remove the biryani from oven and serve hot with lime wedges, raita and papad...Enjoy 😀