Kathal curry

You'll need

• 500g raw jackfruit, cut into pieces (oil your hands first to stop the sap sticking)
• 2 tbsp oil, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ¼ tsp garam masala
• Salt to taste, coriander to finish

Method

1. Parboil the jackfruit in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain.
2. Shallow-fry the pieces lightly in a little oil until the edges brown, then set aside.
3. In the same pan, warm the oil with the bay leaf and cinnamon, then the onion until golden, then the ginger-garlic paste, tomato and dry spices until the oil separates.
4. Add the jackfruit back with a splash of water, cover and simmer until tender and the masala clings to it.
5. Finish with coriander.

Why this dish

Jackfruit is considered a building, Vata-grounding food in Ayurveda once it is well-cooked and well-spiced, which is why it is traditionally parboiled and simmered rather than eaten raw or undercooked.