Kathal Ki Sabzi Indian Jackfruit Sabzi

From my first introduction to date, I have always enjoyed eating kathal ki sabzi. It is the meaty, fibrous texture, and the delicious taste that always attracted me to this humble fruit. Today, jackfruit is widely popular as vegan or mock meat. In India and Southeast Asia, jackfruit is used for ages to prepare a variety of dishes. From sabzi, and pickle to biryani, jackfruit is used in many regional Indian recipes. Kathal Ki Sabzi is a popular dish across North India. This is a Punjabi-style jackfruit sabzi recipe from my mother-in-law. Reasons I LOVE it:

truly tasty gluten-free vegan and vegetarian one pot main course dish

What kind of jackfruit is best for making sabzi?

The raw, unripe jackfruit with tender seeds is best for cooking. The colour of the unripe jackfruit should be milky white and not pale yellow. The ripe and sweet jackfruit with hard seeds should not be used for making sabzi. The best season to get unripe tender jackfruit is from May – July or before the monsoon/rainy season. In some parts of India, unripe jackfruit is available during the winter season as well.

How To Clean Kathal (Jackfruit)

Firstly, don’t get intimidated by the complex structure of the fruit. Once you get the technique to clean the jackfruit right, nothing can stop you from making delicious jackfruit recipes every day. Nowadays, many supermarkets sell cleaned, ready-to-use pieces of jackfruit sealed in plastic bags. When I am in no mood to put in extra effort, I buy one of those packets from the supermarket or request my vegetable vendor to clean a small portion of jackfruit for me. Or you can use the frozen or canned jackfruit as well to make this sabzi. Thaw it as per packet instructions and then follow the recipe steps. This cleaning process can be used for both ripe/unripe varieties of jackfruit.

How To Store Unripe Kathal (Jackfruit)

The unripe jackfruit pieces should be stored in the fridge (not freezer) in a ziplock bag and consumed in a day or two. Because after a day or two it starts ripening and not in the best stage to make sabzi or curry. Even the slightest hint of ripeness in the jackfruit might not result in a delicious kathal (jackfruit) ki sabzi. You can also wrap up the pieces and keep them in the freezer for up to one month. But the flavour is best enjoyed when eaten as fresh as possible.

Step-By-Step Punjabi Kathal Ki Sabzi

Fry Jackfruit: Start with frying the cleaned, chopped jackfruit in mustard oil till it turns pale brown. Transfer to a metal colander. Set aside. Frying gives jackfruit a delicious texture and reduces cooking time. Make Masala: In the same kadhai after frying jackfruit, add the chopped onion. Fry onion till light brown. Next, add the ginger and garlic paste, chopped tomato, spices, and salt. Fry the masala till the oil separates. This usually takes 5 – 10 minutes over low heat. Add the shallow-fried jackfruit to the kadhai, stir to combine so that jackfruit pieces are evenly coated with the spice mix. Cover with a lid and let the sabzi cook over low heat for 15 – 20 minutes, stirring occasionally in between. During this time the jackfruit pieces absorb the flavor of the spices. Check for doneness and turn off the heat. Serve Kathal Ki Sabzi hot, garnished with coriander leaves.