When Rohini Chandrakumar recently sent us a mystery box for blind tasting, we must admit we were biased. This effervescent entrepreneur who had co-founded the popular Oink kitchen has now opened Oga’s Homecooked Magic. The dish that she had sent us was spicy and delicious — the fibrous nature of the meat made me triumphantly declare that it was lean ‘pork chukka’. Rohini had responded with a laugh that, “it’s not chukka — it is chakka!” — jokingly adding that she was a typical Malyalee in this case and loved jackfruit! Though being ardent non-vegetarians, we did feel momentarily hustled, but then the taste buds were singing in praise of the Shredded Jackfruit and when Rohini made a kati roll with similar filling, we were smitten for good. “Our Jax Baby is filled with antioxidants and vitamins (sunny disposition and energy boost all day long), improves digestion (no more burps) — get all that in one health fix!”
“Often my vegetarian friends would want options in my menu, and I wanted to create a signature dish that would be as popular as my non-veg offerings,” says Rohini who shares that the jackfruit she uses comes all the way from Goa. The entrepreneur, whose mother used to run a popular catering business called Pantry Car in the ’90s, says that her menu includes some typical dishes that she grew up with, like the stuffed Pan Rolls, besides the pork dishes like the ribs that we have come to expect from Rohini’s kitchen. We loved the chicken bacon option in the Pan Roll section, and Rohini informed us that the pastry was hand-rolled and not store bought. The dish that has found a discerning palate among her followers is her jar of pâté. With bacon in the smooth mix of chicken liver, some might call it an acquired taste, though we are firmly part of the fan following. In a bid to make life easy for her followers and regular clientele, Rohini has an online pre-order option on eatselecta.com. For those who are wondering about the name of the brand — Oga happens to be Rohini’s nickname and beyond that has no Russian representation, whatsoever, in the menu!
Shredded Jackfruit is INR 305 onward. Jackfruit kati roll is priced at INR 300 each.
Jack in the boxes
In the course of our jackfruit trail, we discovered how popular brands like Jackfruit 365 and Wakao have made jackfruit an easily accessible ingredient to include in healthy and savoury dishes. Look out for breads, crackers and even pizza bases!
Biryani
N S Krishnamoorthi has been experimenting with the raw fruit for a while now at Prems Graama Bhojanam, Adyar. Known for dishes like jackfruit biryani, sukka and kurma, he says, “It was originally a tribal food — a forest produce. Though people have been eating the fruit from time immemorial, only very few who live/lived close to nature used the tender, green raw jack fruit as a vegetable. Today, in modern lingo we may call it baby jackfruit. It is in Wayanad region of Kerala and many hilly terrains across the country where tender green raw jackfruit has been used as vegetable. The Idichakka curry made in the Wayanad area is to die for.” You can order your baby jackfruit biryani by following his posts on social media. Biryani at INR 650 for one kilo + delivery charges.
Pizza base
Shalini Padmanabhan of The Veganator, Anna Nagar, connected with Joseph James, the man behind the brand Jackfruit 365 (that retails green jackfruit flour) to understand the properties of the ingredient and then created gluten-free recipes for her customers. Her Seed Lavash is a salted grain-free cracker made with a blend of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, garden cress, chia and flax) and Jackfruit 365, besides other ingredients that are diabetic friendly and healthy. Jackfruit Cracker is priced at `225 for 100 grams. Meanwhile, for those on a keto diet you can pick up their gluten-free pizza base (at `125 per piece) that is made with almond flour, jackfruit flour, psyllium husk and yeast.
Burger patties
Jignesh Pujara of Ekolyfe, Alwarpet had stocks of jackfruit flour that has been credited with
stupendous health benefits and is sold-out, right now. However, you could browse through other products like the burger patties by Wakao to get your share of jackfruit goodness. “Raw jackfruit meat can be added to your dishes in various stages of being cooked and can be mixed with a wide variety of sauces, seasonings, and other condiments to create a flavour completely unique to you. The original stringy texture of jackfruit is maintained due to preservatives and additives not being used. No cholesterol makes it healthier than using other meat-based alternatives!” Burger patties from INR 750 onward.
Recipe alert: Here’s a juicy plant-based alternative for a weekend feast!
H ilton Chennai and Wakao Foods have collaborated on a unique festival with a focus on plant-based alternatives. Centred around the humble jackfruit, chef Mothi Krishnan tells us to look out for dishes like a Kathal Biryani, a Jack Burger Patty and even a Magnum with a jackfruit infusion. We asked him to share a recipe that you could prep at home and he shared the step by step to this delicious Parmesan Polenta. Get your aprons ready, and of course your jackfruit!
Parmesan Polenta and Roasted Jackfruit
Ingredients
For roasted jackfrui
Wakao Jackfruit 125 gms | Onions 25 gms | Garlic 10 gms | Ginger 10 gms | Chili 5 gms | Spring onion 10 gms | Thyme 2 gms | Brown sugar 5 gms | Cinnamon 2 gms | Nutmeg 2 gms | Olive oil 10 gms | Champagne vinegar 3 gms
For romesco sauce
Tomato 1000 gms | Onion 300 gms | Garlic 20 gms | Paprika 10 gms | Bread 50 gms |
Olive oil 40 ml | Red wine vinegar 15 ml |
Almond flakes 10 gms | Hazelnut 10 gms
For parmesan polenta
Polenta 50 gms | Parmesan 25 gms |
Salt 5gms
Method
■ Fry almonds, garlic and hazelnuts to a golden brown and then blend all the ingredients listed under ‘for romesco’ till smooth. Cool and reserve.
■ In a saucepan, add water and salt and bring to a boil. Whisk in the polenta ensuring no lumps. Reduce heat to low and simmer, whisking often, until polenta starts to thicken and then
cover and cook slowly till grains are tender. Stir in butter, salt and parmesan to finish.
■ Make a marinade for the jackfruit and marinate it for 20 minutes. Roast at
160°C for 12 minutes. Glaze with the vegan demi-glace before plating.
■ Plate with romesco sauce and the roasted jackfruit. Garnish with parmesan, parsley and some almond flakes.
At Vasco’s, Hilton Chennai. On till November 10.
— Recipe compiled by Sonali Shenoy