Fluffy Jackfruit Idlis: A Summer Special Dish; Recipe Inside

The season of jackfruit is upon us and all kinds of delicacies, flavoured with the sweet-tasting pulp as well as the fruit in its raw form become a part of the menu in home kitchens around India. Ripe jackfruit, with its soft, yellow flesh, has a wonderful fragrance that is almost floral in notes. Unlike most other fruits where the seeds are discarded, the seeds of the jackfruit are also eaten as a delicacy across many cultures. The jackfruit idli, or pansu idli, as it is known colloquially around the coastal regions of Karnataka, is a delectable combination of jackfruit pulp mixed with rice into a batter and steamed, like you would a regular idli.

Typically eaten as a breakfast dish, paired with a spicy garlic chutney and a cup of steaming filter coffee, it makes for a healthy and seasonal option. Traditional methods of cooking would use banana leaves or teak leaves to steam the batter; however, the recipe works just fine in a regular steel steamer. The sweet, aromatic flavours of the jackfruit idli pairs beautifully with the spicy condiment and creates a juxtaposing medley of tastes, which is hard to compare to any other dish made with the seasonal produce.

Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup rice rava
• 1 cup freshly grated coconut
• ½ cup ripe jackfruit
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• ½ cup jaggery
• 1 pinch salt
• Ghee, for greasing

Method

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• Chop the jackfruit into tiny pieces and combine together with the jaggery, coconut and cardamom powder. Add the mixture to a blender jar, along with a bit of water and grind to a fine paste.
• Mix this ripe jackfruit paste with the rice rava and add the salt. Stir together and let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add some water to steamer and bring to a boil while you grease the idli moulds with some ghee. Ladle the batter into each mould and place in the steamer.
• Cook the batter for 15 minutes, on a medium flame. Pierce the centre of a single idli with a knife to check for doneness before you remove the moulds and let them cool slightly before removing each idli with a spoon.
• Serve warm, with any chutney or podi of your choice.