Jackfruit is a unique fruit, perhaps among the largest that grows on a tree, can be consumed at various stages of its life, when it is ripe and juicy and also when it is raw and young as vegetable. As jackfruit is rich in protein it is immensely popular as vegan meat replacements. Unlike animal sources of protein, jackfruit contains no saturated fat or cholesterol, it’s light in sodium, and is also low in calories. Again jackfruit is a healthy carbohydrate and can be consumed as a whole meal, an alternate to rice and roti.

You might have come across varieties of koftas including the malai kofta, lauki kofta, vegetable kofta, even kofta with green banana (Kanch kalar kofta (Green banana kofta curry)) and many more. But I bet, you have not heard of raw jackfruit kofta what is a revelation to me which I would like to share with you.

Raw/Green jackfruit or ‘echor’, as known in Bengali, is a vegetable which is known for its ability to disguise and mislead people as mutton if prepared well with generous dose of spices and onions. In fact it is touted as a vegetarian mutton (gach patha) in Bengali household and among the richest in taste. Earlier I have shared with you green jackfruit curry (Echorer dalna or Green Jackfruit Curry) which is much common.

The jackfruit kofta curry, in that sense is a completely new preparation and with thick spicy gravy will be loved by one and all even the hardcore non-vegetarians. Often, I have heard the notion that Bengalis are only known for their non-veg dishes. In reality, however, our kitty is also enriched of varieties of vegetarian food with perhaps all the vegetables one can see around. The present dish is a testimony to the rich inventory.

Ingredients to serve 5-6 :

For Koftas :

1. Green Jackfruit (echor) – 500 gm. (with skin)
2. Cottage cheese (chena) / paneer – 200 gm.
3. Chopped green chilli – 3-4
4. Finely chopped ginger for 1 inch piece
5. Roasted coriander powder – 1 tbspoon
6. Whole spices (2 dry red chilli, 1½ inch cinnamon stick, 5 green cardamom, 6 cloves, 1/3 piece of nutmeg)
7. Rice flour (chaler guro) – 3 tbspoon
8. Salt & sugar to taste
9. Vegetable oil for frying the koftas

For the Curry / Gravy :

1. Tomato – 2 (medium size)
2. Ginger – 1 inch piece
3. Green chilli – 2-3
4. Almond (soaked in water) – 7-8
5. Yogurt / curd – 2 tbspoon
6. Whole spices ( ½ inch cinnamon stick, 2 green cardamom, 3 cloves, 1 dry red chilli)
7. Bay leaf – 2
8. Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
9. Kashmiri red chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
10. Saffron (kesar) – 3-4 strands (soaked into 1 tbspoon milk)
11. Milk powder – 2 tbspoon
12. Salt and sugar to taste
13. Mustard oil – 3 tbspoon
14. Ghee (clarified butter) – 1 tbspoon
15. Water – 2 large cups

Procedure :

Step 1 : Making of Koftas

• At first, grease your hand and knife with oil to cut green jackfruit. It will help you to avoid the sticky latex juice from the vegetable.
• Now remove the green outer shell of jackfruit. Cut it into medium size blocks, separate the seeds and discard the thin, pale yellowish layer closely attached to the blocks. Then again cut the seeds and blocks into halves. Wash them well and pressure cook with enough water and salt up to 5-6 whistles or until well cooked. Drain out the water and transfer the cooked vegetable in a large dish/plate. Let it cool down completely.

• Meanwhile take the whole spices in a grinder and make a fine powder out of them. Keep the spice mixture aside. Half of this spice mixture will be used in the gravy.
• After cooling the cooked jackfruit (echor) mash it with hand.
• Then add cottage cheese, chopped ginger, green chilli, salt, sugar, rice flour, roasted coriander powder and half of the powdered spice mixture to the mashed jackfruit.
• Mix all the ingredients very well and start making medium sized balls or koftas out of the mixture. I ended up with 24 balls. This number may increase or decrease depending on the size of the balls or koftas.
• Now heat sufficient amount of oil in a kadai for deep frying the koftas. Fry all the koftas in few batches over medium flame. Transfer the koftas on a kitchen towel to soak excess oil from it.
• Keep the koftas aside and start making gravy or curry.

Step 2 : Making of Curry / Gravy

• At first cut the tomatoes into large chunks. Also cut the ginger into small pieces. In a blender take the tomatoes, ginger, green chilli and almonds. Make a smooth paste out of them.
• Now heat mustard oil in a large kadai over medium flame. Add ghee to the hot oil.
• Then add whole spices and bay leaves to the oil and sauté for a while till nice aroma comes out from the spices.
• After that add tomato paste and cook till raw flavour of tomato goes away.
• Now add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and previously prepared ground mixture of whole spices (remaining half after using for kofta mixture) to the yogurt and beat them well. Add the yogurt mixture to the kadai and cook for 2-3 minutes till oil separates from the mixture.  
• Next add milk powder and cook for a minute.
• Then add 2 large cups of water and let it comes to boil.
• Add salt and sugar to taste.
• Also add saffron milk to the gravy.
• Cook the gravy for 2-3 minutes on high flame till it thickens a bit.
• Then add the fried koftas to the gravy and put the flame on low. Cook for couple of minutes.
• Transfer the jackfruit kofta curry in a serving dish.
• Serve with plain rice, pulao, roti, paratha or puris.

Note :

1. I have used homemade chena or cottage cheese and for this I needed 1 litter of milk to curdle.
2. One can use cashew nuts or even pea nuts instead of almonds.
3. One can use mawa or khoya instead of milk powder.
4. If you are not consuming the dish just after the preparation then keep the koftas and gravy separately. Just before serving mix them and heat them for couple of minutes. Otherwise the gravy will be soaked completely by the koftas.