Kathal Biryani

I personally love jack fruit and often use the small one as it has less seeds. The right balance of masala gives it a meaty taste. It has meaty texture, and it is a great option for vegetarians

Various dishes can be made from Jack fruit, it could be both sweet and savory and seeds of it can also be used.
The taste of seeds is similar to water chestnut.

Jack fruit peeling and cutting is a great task so when you peel the Jack fruit apply some oil in your hand and also on to the knife.

We can make starter also by using Jack fruit like Kebabs,  tikki or pakoda.

Here I have made kathal biryani by using small Jack fruit which is called kathari.

We can not consider it as one pot meal because the procedure of biryani  needs two to three pots like for marination, cooking of vegetables, onion frying n all . 

One pot meal means which dish we make in a pot like pulao,  khichdi, dal Dhokla or dal dulha etc.

Preparation Time :- 15 minutes
Cooking Time :- 35 minutes
Serves :- 4

Author:- Hem Lata Srivastava 

Ingredients:-

For Kathal :-

• 1/2 kg kathal
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 tbsp ginger, garlic paste
• 1/4 cup curd
• 1 tsp salt
• 1tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• A pinch of cinnamon powder
• 4 cloves
• 1tsp green cardamom powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Oil

For Rice :-

• 2 cup basmati rice (I use India gate)
• Salt to taste
• 6 no. Black pepper
• 4 no. Cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1tbsp cumin seeds
• 2tbsp  coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp fennel
• 2 bay leaves
• 4no. Whole dry red chilli
• 1 piece mace
• 2 no. Black cardamom

For layering:-

• 2 large Sliced onions
• Oil for frying
• 50 gram butter
• 1 tbsp green cardamom powder
• Mint leaves
• 1tbsp saffron
• 2 tbsp milk

For serving:-

Garlic/ Burrani raita or plain yogurt

Method:-

• Wash and soak the rice.
• Soak the saffron in milk.
• Peel and cut the kathal into medium sized pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the jack fruit pieces until light golden then keep out on the absorbent paper.
• Now add cumin seeds in the remaining oil and when they change their colour, add whole spices and fry for couple of minutes then add chopped onion.
• Fry till onions become translucent then add ginger garlic paste and fry for another 2-3 minutes then add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt stir and mix well.
• Add Jack fruit and mix well with spices then add 1cup water and lower the heat, cover and cook till it is done.
• Open the lid add whipped curd, lemon juice and mix well. Cook for 5 minutes on medium high heat.
• Switch off the gas. Keep aside.
• Boil 4 glass water with all the ingredients that are mentioned in rice preparation on medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Now strain the water and cook the rice in this water till rice is cooked upto 80%.
• Heat oil and fry the sliced onion till golden.
• Take a heavy bottomed pan and butter it with ghee then put the cooked rice first and over it spread Jack fruit then fried onions and sprinkle the cardamom powder and saffron, Repeat the process.
• Cover the pan.
• Switch the gas on and Put the pan on a tava.
• Lower the heat and let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Garnish with mint leaves,  serve hot with raita or plain yogurt.

Note:- 

• Add spices as per your taste. 
• Use small jack fruit as it has very few seeds and it gets mixed well with spices.
• We make "Burani"raita you can make any type of raita.