Palakkai Sodhi:
In our tradition we have three main fruits we say it as Ma(Mango), Pala(Jack fruit). Vazhai(Banana). Raw varieties of these three fruit are used in cooking is very special to know. It is perfectly made to blend with wonderful spices as result with delicious curry in their meals. Unripe Jackfruit or Baby Jack fruit is used mainly for curry type dishes in India and South east Asia, we get plenty of this vegetable during summer season . It is also famous in Chettinad region and variety of dishes are made out of Raw Jack fruit, like Poriyal,Podimas,Perattal,Sothi, Kuruma, Koottu and even in kootukkai Kuzhambu made during Pongal festival.
Raw jack fruit is really great in taste, but patients needed to cut this raw jack fruit. Many love this Raw jackfruit recipes, it tastes as mutton.
Palakkai Sodhi:
Baby Jack fruit Sodhi,This is yet another Chettinad delicacy made out of baby jack fruit is also a common item in a grand Chettinad vegetarian lunch. Can be served with roti or chapathi.
Ingredients:
Palakkai(Baby jack fruit)-peel skin slice into cubes-1/2 inch thinness
Big Onion-2 nos chopped
Tomato medium size 1 chopped
pepper corns 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves
Potato – 1 small optional
Oil to season-3tbs
Water-3 cups
Salt 1 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp
To grind:
Green chillies-5
Pottukadalai (fried gram)-1 table spoon
Cashew-5 optional
Fennel seeds-1/2 teaspoon
cumin seeds-1/2 teaspoon
poppy seeds(kasa kasa)-1/2 tsp
Method:
Procedure:
Cook Palakkai for a whistle with salt and turmeric powder.
Place cooker or pan on stove heat with 3tbs of oil season pepper corns after it splatters add ginger garlic paste, chopped onion and cut potato until it gets golden yellow colour or tomato leaves skin.
Add tomato, salt, curry leaves and cooked palakkai sauté for 3 minutes add ground masala as it is already fried no need to sauté for long time add 3 cups of water close and cook till potato cooks. It should be in curry form you can add 1/2 cup of coconut milk if necessary.
This it goes with Hot rice, chapati, poori dosa.
Method to cut Palakkai:
Cut palakkai into 2 halves Place it on a paper for few minutes all milky liquid will drain out.
Apply few drops of oil on hand and knife.
First cut into small rounds then peel skin.
Cut into small cubes or desired shapes put in the water mixed with one teaspoon of buttermilk to avoid discolouration.
Chettinad Cookbook - Learn and Serve 