Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji (Young Jackfruit Subzi) Maharashtrian Recipe – No onion, no garlic!

Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji (Unripe/ Tender/ Young Jackfruit Subzi)

Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji is a family recipe that I am sharing with you here. It has been passed down from my grandmother to my mother and to me. Most other recipes call for complex masala preparations, onion, garlic, etc. But this one is truly the simplest recipe for kaccha phanas bhaaji/ subzi. It requires no standing time before the stove, perfect for summers, uses minimal ingredients which are all staples in every Indian pantry and spice boxes.

The freshness and simplicity of flavours are key in making this one of my favourites. It is almost deceptive how a combination of such basic ingredients brings about the wide range of flavours and textures in each bite. The earthy, full yet tender texture of the jackfruit, crunchy rich cashews and fresh coconut, sharp red chilli, earthy cumin and mustard seeds, a kick from the lime juice, freshness from coriander leaves, umami undertone of hing or asafoetida to round off. You can decipher each flavour, yet not know exactly what it was!
Maharashtrian Konkan Speciality

Kaccha (unripe or young ) phanas (jackfruit or kathal in hindi) is a coastal speciality in Maharashtra and Southern India.

Jackfruit is native to Indian coastal regions, and abundantly found in the Konkan region along the Western ghats.
Seasonal Fruit

As with most of the natural bounty in Konkan, the jackfruit or phanas is a seasonal fruit. Kaccha or young phanas starts becoming ready for consumption around spring season which is March or April. The jackfruit season ends when monsoon begins, typically after June. The same fruit if ripened on the trees for another month or so develops into the sweet golden yellow soft fruit that we are all familiar with. Of course the exterior is aggressive looking spikey green and ripe jackfruit/phanas can be huge in size easily weighing more than 5kg to 10kg. But usually, the unripe jackfruit is much smaller.

The interior of kaccha phanas depending on its region of origin, is typically very light yellow or white. The young phanas used for making bhaaji in Konkan is light yellow in colour. But the phanas found in the Southern Indian region has a white interior and slightly different in that it does not ripen into the sweet mature fruit.
How to reduce the stickiness of jackfruit?

Jackfruit, ripe and young, has naturally occurring latex in its stems, core and inner layers. Kaccha phanas has a lot of this sticky substance all along the interior. It can leave sticky residue similar to a chewing gum which can be hard to clean after. This latex makes handling jackfruit a little tricky, though nothing that a little oil cannot fix.

The best and first tip – when cooking with jackfruit, lay down paper or disposable kitchen towels on the counter, apply cooking oil on the knife blade, on your palms before touching and also grease the jackfruit pieces and vessel used for the steaming process.

Second tip – steaming the young fruit well helps cut the stickiness. There is no such thing as oversteaming jackfruit.

Third tip – adding acidic elements

such as lime juice and kokum reduces the stickiness of the latex when consuming jackfruit. Avoid tamarind with jackfruit, unless a traditional recipe calls for it specifically.
Here is the recipe –

There are three main steps to this recipe –

1. Steam cook and prepare the jackfruit
2. Prepare the phodni/ tadka (tempering)
3. Mix together the two components, garnish and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPE

Kacchya Phansachi Bhaaji (Unripe/ Young Jackfruit Subzi)

Ingredients

500 gm – young jackfruit pieces OR use 1 package frozen jackfruit – Daily Delight (USA)

100 ml (6 tbsp) – coconut oil, OR canola oil OR other cooking oil

2 medium dried red chillies OR fresh chilies sliced as per taste and availability

1/2 tsp – Hing/ Asafoetida

2/3 tsp – Haldi/ Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp – Mohri/ Mustard seeds black

1 tsp – Jeera/ Cumin

4-5 Kadhipatta/ Curry leaves

1-2 pieces of dried kokum (optional)

Sugar

Salt

Cashews OR peanuts OR Vaal OR chana dal (optional) – soaked in hot water for 10 mins

1 cup – Freshly grated coconut (Try Daily Delight brand if in USA)

Chopped coriander/ cilantro leaves

Lime juice to taste
Method

1. With well oiled hands and surfaces clean out the woody fibrous core of the jackfruit. Leave on the tender seeds and flesh of the fruit. Place the cleaned pieces in a well oiled vessel which fits inside your pressure cooker or steamer. Put a loose lid on the vessel.
2. Put water in the pressure cooker/ steamer and place the covered vessel inside. Tightly close the lid. Place pressure cooker on high flame and allow 5-6 whistles depending on the tenderness of the jackfruit. Then leave the cooker on stove on lowest flame for 2 minutes.
3. Turn off the flame and leave the cooker unopened for 15 minutes till the steam settles.
4. Once slightly cooled, take the jackfruit out and check if cooked by pinching a big piece between fingers. If it shreds easily, it is cooked. If however, it feels still fibrous, pressure cook the tough parts for 3-4 whistles more.
5. Once cooked thoroughly, apply oil to hands and shred the cooked jackfruit to resemble small strips.
6. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add kokum pieces if using. Mix well. Keep this preparation aside.
7. To make the phodni / tadka / tempering – In a small kadhai, deep pan or wok and heat atleast 4-5 tbsp oil.
8. Once the oil is hot, but below smoking point, add in mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let it crackle.
9. Add hing, turmeric powder, chillies, curry leaves and soaked cashews or optional add in. Do not let the ingredients overcook as they will turn bitter.
10. Pour this hot phodni/tadka over the prepared kaccha phanas/ jackfruit. Leave some to pour as garnish.
11. Add in grated coconut, coriander leaves and lime juice, reserving some for garnish. Mix well. For better blend of flavours use fingers and hand to mix.
12. Garnish with last remaining phodni/tadka oil, more freshly grated coconut, chopped coriander/cilantro and squeeze of lime juice.
13. Serve with chapati, phulka or roti. It tastes superb by itself as well.