Halasinakai (Raw Jackfruit) Palya

This is a South Karnataka specialty. Raw jackfruit being seasonal and rare to find in market makes this a special dish. This being jackfruit season, there are many vegetable shops selling raw jackfruits in the market.We get a couple of raw jack fruits once or twice a year and make a few rare dishes with it. I agree it is cumbersome to peel and chop it... but I bet it is worth the effort. It has a unique flavor and taste, different from other veggies.

Halasinakai Palya

Preparation time : 15 min Cooking time : 20 min Serves : 4-5 Ingredients: Raw jackfruit - 1 small sized Coconut - ½ cup, grated Green chilies - 5-6, depending on taste Curry leaves - 2 sprigs Coriander leaves - 1 Tbsp, chopped Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp Mustard seeds - 1 tsp Chana dal - 2 tsp Urad dal - 2 tsp Asafetida - a pinch, powdered Turmeric - a pinch Tamarind - a small marble sized ball Salt - ½ Tsp or as per taste Chopped raw jackfruit Method: • Roughly peel the outer skin of raw jackfruit and chop into pieces • In a pressure cooker, cook it till soft, with a little water. It takes about 3-4 whistles and let the pressure come down • Meanwhile, coarsely grind coconut, green chilies, coriander and asafetida without adding any water • In a thick bottomed pan, heat oil, add mustard, allow to splutter • Turn the heat low, add channa dal and urad dal and stir • Add curry leaves and turmeric and stir for half a minute till all the ingredients are properly roasted. • Drain the cooked raw jackfruit and add it to the pan. Add tamarind pulp, salt and the ground mixture and mix well • Sauté well for about 5 minutes till the raw smell is gone • Serve it with rice or as a side dish for chapathis/rotis Tips n Tricks: • When cutting the jackfruit, smear your hands and the knife with oil liberally. This avoids the knife getting stuck in the sticky jackfruit