Jack (Fruit) Of All Trades/ Jack Fruit Stir Fry/ Jack Fruit Fugath

As a child, whenever my Mother cooked vegetables like jack fruit,

pumpkin, ladies finger, greens and what not, we turned our noses up and surreptitiously dumped our portions in the dustbin. Last week my brother
bought some tender jack fruits and requested my Mum to cook it. I was aghast! Memories of my childhood bete noire surfaced and I wrinkled
my nose in disgust. I liked the pickle but the vegetable was a different matter. To cut a long story short, I liked it and am sharing
the recipe today.

The Recipe:

1 small tender jack fruit, cleaned and chopped (this is an art; rub oil all over your fingers before you even attempt to cut it); 1/4 coconut, grated; 1 tsp mustard; 1 large onion, sliced fine; 3 dried red chillies broken; 1/2 tsp jeera (cumin seeds) powder; a few sprigs curry leaves; salt to taste a pinch of haldi (turmeric); a pinch of mustard and 2 tbsp oil for stir frying.

Grind the coconut and mustard together. Keep aside till required. Heat the oil in a non stick pan and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle add the curry leaves and broken red chillies. Stir fry a minute. Now add the sliced onions, lower flame and cook till golden brown. Add the ground coconut and fry for a few minutes till a delectable aroma arises. Lastly add the turmeric, jeera powder and the tender jack, stir fry a minute, lower flame and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add water if required. Serve hot with rice or chappathis.

Learn how to cook a traditional Indian meal using recipes that have been inherited from my great-grandmother