Aromatic and delicious medley of vegetables, spices, and rice.
PREP TIME: 40-50 Minutes
SERVES: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 400 grams jackfruit (kathal) or 3-3.5 cups chopped jackfruit
- 2 cups Jashn basmati rice (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
- 1-inch ginger + 3-4 garlic paste
- 2 medium-sized onions (thinly sliced)
- 1 big cardamom
- 3 green cardamoms
- 4 cloves
- 1-inch cinnamon
- 2-3 strands of mace
- 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- 1 tbs caraway seeds
- 5 cups water
- 1 small piece stone flower (dagad phool) - optional
- 5 tbs oil for frying the kathal
- 3 tbsp ghee for the pulao
- Salt as needed
For Layering
- 1-2 green chilies - slit, deseed
- 10-12 cashews
- 1 tbs chopped mint leaves/ coriander leaves or a mix of both
- 1/2 inch ginger (French cut)
- 2 pinch garam masala powder
- 1 tbs lemon juice (optional)
- Salt as needed
METHOD:
Soaking Rice
- Rinse the rice well and get rid of the starch. Next, soak the rice in enough water for about 30 minutes. After that, drain it and keep it aside.
Chopping Jackfruit
- Apply a little oil on your palm and knife and chop the jackfruit. You can get it chopped at a vegetable vendor as well.
- While chopping, toss the jackfruit in a pan with water so that they don’t turn dark.
- If you have bought it from outside, you can rinse it well in water.
- Dry it with a kitchen towel.
Frying Jackfruit
- Take 2.5 tbs oil and heat it in a pan. After that, add the jackfruit pieces and fry them.
- Fry the jackfruit pieces until it turns golden. Flip the pieces while frying to make sure that all the pieces are browned evenly.
- Now, add 2.5 tbsp more oil and pan-fry the remaining jackfruit pieces.
- Once it is fried, drain the jackfruit pieces and put them on a paper towel.
- Now, roast the cashews in the same pan. You can use the remaining oil for roasting.
- Add ghee to a large pot and toss all the spices such as bay leaf, caraway seeds, cinnamon, stone flower, mace strands, cloves, and green and black cardamoms. Sauté them till they turn fragrant.
- Now add sliced onions and sauté them till they turn golden brown. Take about 2 tbs of fried onion and set it aside.
- Turn the flame low and add the ginger-garlic paste along with chili powder. Stir and sauté it for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Now add the drained rice. Stir and sauté it gently for a minute.
- Add salt and water. Stir and cover the pot and let it simmer until half-cooked.
- Remember, it takes about 10-12 minutes to cook the rice on low heat.
Layering Kathal Pulao
- Switch off the gas and make a layer of jackfruit on top of the half-cooked rice.
- Also, top it with green chilies, chopped coriander leaves/mint leaves, fried golden onions, lemon juice, roasted cashews, julienned ginger, and garam masala.
- Take a moist cotton kitchen napkin and place it on the top of it, ensuring that it doesn't touch the pulao. Now, cover the pot.
- Once done, place the pot on a hot tava or griddle, and let the rice cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the flame is set on low.
- Switch off the gas, and let the kathal pulao sit for about five minutes.
- Now, serve the delicious jackfruit pulao with your favorite raita, papad, and pickle.