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Kathal Biryani Recipe | Easy Jackfruit Biryani
Our kathal biryani recipe is a delicious, mildly spiced, dum biryani made with unripe jackfruit (called kathal in Hindi).
Tender raw jackfruit is marinated in a mixture of garlic-ginger-onion pastes and spice powders in this jackfruit biryani recipe, cooked with yogurt and traditional biryani whole spices, then layered with masala rice and cooked on dum till perfect.
Raw jackfruit, unlike the ripe fruit, has a meaty appearance and texture. Indeed, it has been called the poor man’s meat and dubbed vegetarian meat in Bengal.
This faux-meat vegetable is an excellent substitute for meat not only because of its appearance and texture, but also because of its ability to soak up flavours and spices.
It allows one, as in this veg kathal biryani recipe, to recreate the complex flavour, delicious taste, and enticing aroma of delectable real-meat biryani without compromising on any essential culinary attribute.
The use of vegetables to mimic non-vegetarian tastes and flavours in a variety of dishes is a well-established practice in Hindu households aimed at circumventing the prohibition of meat on certain days of the week or during festive or religious occasions. The Kayastha community, for example, excels in this culinary art of substitution and reinvention.
Our fool-proof jackfruit biryani recipe or kathal ki biryani allows vegetarians to enjoy the taste, aroma, and flavours of meat biryani without guilt.
Our kathal biryani recipe pretty much follows the same process used for making mutton biryani, the only major difference being the substitution of kathal for mutton.
Good jackfruit biryani requires a fruit that has started to open up a bit and one that is sufficiently fibrous so it can soak up the flavours of the masalas. Jackfruit that is too young to eat, one with no seeds, and one with too tender a core will not make a good jackfruit biryani.
It’s best to cube the flesh of the jackfruit and layer with the rice, just like in a meat biryani.
When cut, jackfruit produces a sap or latex, which is sticky and stains. As a precaution, before cutting jackfruit, apply generous amounts of coconut oil to your hands and grease the knife and the cutting board as well. This makes it easier to cut the fruit and prevents hands and kitchen utensils from being stained.
Cut the jackfruit in half. Remove and discard the outer thorny green skin and the center stalk.
Start cutting the jackfruit into 1½-inch cubes or medium-sized chunks.
If using store-bought jackfruit that has already been chopped, rinse the pieces in water.
Garnish with fried green chillies, toasted cashew nuts, coriander leaves, and birista (crispy fried onions).
Serve jackfruit biryani with pomegranate raita, tamatar mirch, kachumber, and korma, along with pickle and papad.
Learn how to make Kathal Biryani at home in your kitchen with this kathal biryani recipe video from Yummefy.
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Jackfruit Curry | Kathal ki Sabzi -
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RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
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600 grams jackfruit (kathal), raw, peeled, cut into 1½-inch cubes (about 500 grams after peeling)
350 grams masala rice, (350 grams before cooking), made from long grain rice preferably kaima or basmati rice (recipe link for masala rice in method)
Marinade:
1 1⁄2 teaspoons garlic paste
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ginger paste
50 grams onion paste, (from about ½ medium onion)
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1⁄2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
4 green chillies, deseeded, ground to make about 1¼ teaspoons paste
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oil, to deep fry
2 black cardamom pods (badi elaichi)
1 piece cinnamon, about 1-inch in length
3 green cardamom pods
2 star anise (chakra phool), (chakra phool)
3 cloves (laung)
250 grams onions, (about 2½ medium onions), peeled and finely sliced
2 teaspoons ginger paste
180 ml yogurt, (about ¾ cup)
2 tablespoons coriander leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Garnish:
1 tablespoon coriander leaves
2 teaspoons ghee
1 teaspoon kewra water, (screw pine)
1 large pinch saffron, soaked in 3 tablespoons warm milk for 20 to 30 minutes
3 green chillies, deseeded, slit, and fried
COOKING METHOD
- Marinate kathal (jackfruit): In a large bowl, add garlic paste, ginger paste, onion paste, cumin powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and green chilli paste. Mix well. Place kathal (jackfruit) pieces, a few at a time, into the marinade and mix to coat well. Repeat till all kathal (jackfruit) pieces are coated with the marinade. Set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.
- Fry kathal (jackfruit): Pour about 1½ cups oil into a kadhai or wok on high heat. Once hot, carefully place marinated pieces of kathal (jackfruit) in the oil without crowding the kadhai (we suggest frying the kathal (jackfruit) in batches). Fry till golden brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 5 to 6 minutes in total. Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and place on a kitchen paper towel to drain. Repeat for the remaining marinated kathal (jackfruit). Set aside.
- Place a large saucepan on high heat and pour in oil. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, toss in black cardamom pods, cinnamon, green cardamom pods, star anise (chakra phool), and cloves. Give the spices a good stir, then add onion. Sauté till golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add ginger paste, stir well, reduce heat to low and add yogurt and coriander leaves. Stir vigorously and continuously to ensure that the yogurt does not curdle. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Toss in 1 teaspoon salt, add fried jackfruit and stir well. Pour in 120 ml water (about ½ cup), stir, then cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove kathal (jackfruit) masala from heat.
- Assemble biryani: Grease the inside of the biryani dish or other deep pan generously with ghee. Divide masala rice in two parts. Layer one part of the masala rice into the biryani dish spreading it across the bottom. Sprinkle coriander leaves on the rice. Evenly spread the cooked kathal (jackfruit) masala on the rice, then top with remaining rice. Drizzle rice with ghee, kewra water, and saffron milk. Garnish with fried green chilies. Cover with tight-fitting lid and place on dum for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow biryani rest for 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves: 4 to 6
Prep Time: 35 minutes plus 1 hour unattended time for soaking rice and kathal (jackfruit) marination
Cook time: 70 minutes including time to assemble biryani
- Marinate kathal (jackfruit): In a large bowl, add garlic paste, ginger paste, onion paste, cumin powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, black pepper powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and green chilli paste. Mix well. Place kathal (jackfruit) pieces, a few at a time, into the marinade and mix to coat well. Repeat till all kathal (jackfruit) pieces are coated with the marinade. Set aside to marinate for about 1 hour.
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