Jackfruit is a tropical fruit and not a vegetable. It is surprising to know that a single jackfruit weighs 40 pounds or more. It is gigantic with green-coloured skin and has spikes too. The strange fruit has a stringy texture resembling a pulled meat, but is often used by vegans and vegetarians. It is a powerhouse of potassium. It is also power packed with fibre, proteins, calcium, iron, and other vitamins and minerals important for a healthy nervous system.
Jackfruit is a superfood. It is a versatile food that easily takes on the flavours of spices or seasonings used during the cooking process. Until now, jackfruit was placed nicely in savoury dishes like curries, tacos, smoothies, etc., but this is a unique and wonderful hack to consume Jackfruit as Chips. Jackfruit chips have their legacy rooted in South India. These chips are famously known as Chakka Upperi in the South and are savoured during the evening tea time. They are prepared by deeply frying the flesh of the partly ripe jackfruit.
They are thinly sliced, salty and spiced, crispy finger chips. The chips have a mild sweet flavour blended perfectly with salty flavour which is liked by the people very much. It is a great treat for on-the-go as well as enjoyable while sitting down. Contrary to most of the unhealthy potato chips, these chips are highly nutritious containing less carbohydrates and calories.
Jackfruit got its name from a Malayalam word, chakka, meaning a group of green fruits joined together. Its Indian name is Kathal. And is the national fruit of Bangladesh. It is an inexpensive fruit and can be consumed by the locals and the poorest.
Here’s the recipe for the crunchy, crispy Jackfruit Chips.
Ingredients:
1 kg jackfruit
1 kg oil
2 tsp salt
Method:
. Peel off the green and thorny skin of jackfruit.
. Cut the fruit into half. And then further into smaller pieces, like quarter sizes.
. Extract the flesh one by one.
. Then slit open each flesh and remove the seeds.
. Store the fruit without seeds separately. And slice them into thin strips evenly. So, it cooks well and equally.
. In a large skillet, pour the oil and heat over the medium flame. When slightly hot, add the thin strips of the fruit in batches. Deep fry well until crisp and golden.
. Strain excess oil and set aside. Now pour the next batch into the oil. Continue the steps until all the strips are made into chips.
. Take a large pot, put that salt and add water mix well until the salt is soluble.
. Sprinkle this soluble salt water onto the jackfruit chips and mingle them well.
. Then remove the jackfruit chips from the bowl and store them in airtight containers to prevent them from getting damped. They have a good shelf life.
. Enjoy an evening snack with tea or coffee.