Tree Goat

Every year, a group of my colleagues get together for a summer barbecue to mark the end of the school year. Usually, the menu revolves around tri-tip sandwiches prepared by a colleague who prides himself in his grilling skills. The rest of us pitch in with the sides, beverages, and dessert. Last summer, we had a surprise new addition to the spread courtesy a vegan member of the group -- jackfruit burgers. This novel item generated some confusion -- people had heard of veggie burgers and soy burgers, not that they would ever venture to put such questionable things between their buns, but jackfruit burgers? What is that? The vegan colleague patiently explained that jackfruit was an actual fruit that, when eaten in its unripe form, had a meat-like texture. Seemingly unimpressed by this food factoid, everyone, including yours truly, opted for the tri-tip over the jackfruit.

Reality is that jackfruit is not a stranger to me. This enormous, green, porcupine-like fruit is ubiquitous in eastern and southern India where both the fleshy insides and seeds are consumed. In the summer time, ripe jackfruit pods, with their cloying sweetness and heady aroma, come a close second to the top Indian summer fruit, the mango. The nutty seeds are dried in the sun and added to vegetable stir fries and daals for an added crunch and the unripe or green jackfruit is cooked in spicy stews or mashed and moulded into koftas.  So, it is not like I have never encountered the mighty jackfruit before. I just have a hard time accepting it in a burger when there are so many other delicious jackfruit possibilities out there. I feel the same aversion toward any preparation that attempts to use jackfruit as a stand-in for meat -- pulled jackfruit in barbecue sauce, jackfruit carnitas, jackfruit chile verde. Yet, I cannot deny that these preparations that are now standard vegan offerings in most grocery stores have helped jackfruit earn some street cred. in the American food scene.

When I first moved to this country, I resigned myself to the fact that jackfruit would be among the many Indian fruits that I had to forego in my new country of residence. The only green jackfruits that were available were the squishy, briny ones from cans. I found that even if I could tolerate the texture, it was almost impossible to get rid of the briny taste. After a few failed attempts at recreating typical jackfruit preparations with this canned version, I threw in the towel and grudgingly accepted the fact that I would have to wait for trips to India to taste the real thing. This is why I have some empathy for Zoe Williams, the author of The Guardian article Jackfruit is a Vegan Sensation -- Could I Make it Taste Delicious at Home? I daresay that the jackfruit that Ms. Williams describes as "squashy, mealy nothing" came from a can. The article earned the ire of many foodies, especially those from the Indian subcontinent who felt a patriotic urge to defend the honor of the fruit that had been so grossly misrepresented by Ms. Williams. However, if we pause to consider that the piece was written based on the author's experience with canned jackfruit, can we really blame her for anything more than arrogance that led her to write such a scathing treatise without actually tasting the fresh fruit? I think we can all agree that the things that we love about green jackfruit are not present in the canned variety. However, handling fresh jackfruit is not child's play. Breaking open the hard, prickly exterior to pluck out the ripe pods and separating the seeds is a time-consuming endeavor. Green jackfruits entail the additional problem of a sticky sap that can only be negotiated by very skilled and well-oiled hands. While the end result is well worth the effort, this labor-intensive process can be a deterrent to enjoying jackfruit. So, if the canned variety is inedible and the fresh ones difficult to procure or process, what is one to do?

Enter...pre-packaged, frozen, green jackfruit, available in the freezer section of your local Indian grocery store. Conveniently cleaned and cut into chunks, this version of the fruit can be defrosted in a matter of minutes by rinsing under cold water. The original texture of the fruit is preserved and most importantly, there is no briny taste. Convenience, freshness, and taste...all boxes checked. Since discovering this product a few years ago, my hopes of recreating authentic, Bengali jackfruit recipes in America were revived. I found that the frozen product holds up well in stews and comes together nicely in koftas when mixed with a binding agent like mashed potatoes.

Now, I am not sure if the frozen variety would completely redeem a faux-meat product like jackfruit carnitas, but it would definitely improve the taste and texture. The fundamental problem with preparations like jackfruit carnitas is the treatment of the jackfruit exclusively as a meat substitute. Due to its fibrous, meaty texture green jackfruit does replace proteins like chicken and goat in Indian cuisines. Enchor, the Bengali name for green jackfruit, is often alternated with the more endearing term Gaach Pantha (Tree Goat) that signals the substitution of pantha (goat) with a plant product. While the culminating dish in a non-vegetarian Bengali meal is Panthar Jhol (Goat Stew),  Enchorer Dalna or Gaach Panthar Jhol (Green Jack Fruit Stew) occupies the prime spot in a vegetarian menu. The key difference lies in the nuanced treatment of jackfruit in Indian cooking that attempts to preserve its original taste rather than altering its character to be more meat-like. Take for example, a typical recipe for Gaach Panthar Jhol. The stew is similar to non-vegetarian preparations in the use of warm aromatics like cinnamon and cardamom. However, instead of the classic mirepoix of non-vegetarian Indian cooking -- onions, ginger, and garlic -- the sauce in this preparation relies simply on fresh ginger paste and strained yogurt. The absence of onions and garlic allows the jackfruit to shine through and hold centerstage. The resulting preparation is coveted for its own distinctive taste and not just because of its approximation to a meat dish.

I usually have a bag of frozen green jackfruit in the freezer, ready to be utilized for Gaach Panthar Jhol. Usually, such indulgences are reserved for special weekends, but when one is looking for ways to break up the monotony of a house-bound existence, this delicately spiced Tree Goat stew introduces some much-needed novelty.

What you Need:
1 package frozen green jackfruit (defrosted under running water and drained)
1 large red-skin potato (Peeled and cut into large cubes, approximately the same size as jackfruit chunks)
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/3 cup full fat yogurt
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
4-5 green cardamom pods
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp turmeric
11/2 tsp ground cumin
11/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
2-3 green chilies (keep whole if you want to keep the dish mild)
11/2 tsp sugar
11/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup warm water

Directions: Heat oil in a skillet with a fitted lid. Add cinnamon and cardamom. Wait till spices sizzle. Add asafoetida powder and cumin seeds.
Add defrosted green jackfruit chunks and potatoes. Stir fry over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes.
Lower heat once the jackfruit and potatoes are lightly browned.
Add ginger paste, salt and turmeric. Stir fry till raw taste of ginger subsides.
Add yogurt, ground cumin, coriander, garam masala, sugar, and whole green chilies. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat, taking care not to break up the jackfruit chunks.
Add 3/4 cup warm water to the skillet. Scrape the bottom and sides of the pan to release any brown bits.
Bring to a low simmer and cook covered for 5 minutes over low heat till potatoes are fork tender.
Add the ghee and give a good stir to incorporate everything. Remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes before serving with white rice.