Jackfruit Huli | Lentil-jackfruit stew
By Leena Hegde, Puttanamane
This amazingly tasty jackfruit Huli or stew is made by slow cooking the tender jackfruit and pigeon pea lentils to a soft texture, and then mixed with ground spices. This is similar to any regular huli, but fewer spices are used to keep the jackfruit flavor enhanced. Jackfruit should be tender that you should be able to cut through the seeds easily to make this Huli. Tough, brittle, or ripe jackfruit cannot be used to make Huli.
Both jackfruit and lentils has varieties. Cook time varies with the variety of the jackfruit and the lentils used. So it is better to cook them separately and then mix together.
Prep time
40 mins
Cook time
30 mins
Cool off time
0
Total time
1 hr 10 mins
Course
Curry
Diet
Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty level
Moderate
Servings
8 cups
Ingredients
-
3/4 cup pigeon pea lentils (Togari bele or tur dal or arhar dal)
- 3 cups chopped tender jackfruit – tightly packed
- 1/4 teaspoon jaggery
- Water as required
-
Salt as required
For ground spices mix
- 2 to 3 tablespoons grated fresh coconut – tightly packed
- 1 teaspoon oil (any edible oil of your choice)
- 2 long dry red chillies
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander seeds (Kottambari or Dhania seeds)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (Jeerige or Jeera)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (Mente or Methi seeds)
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds (Sasive or Sarson seeds or Rai)
-
1 teaspoon or 2 inches tamarind
For tempering
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds (Sasive or Sarson seeds or Rai)
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (Ingu or Hing)
- 10 curry leaves
Cookware / Utensils
-
Pan
- Bowl(s)
- Spoon
- Mixer or grinder
Instructions
Instructions
Cook jackfruit
- Take a fresh tender jackfruit, wash and remove the skin.
- Cut the jackfruit into pieces – 3 cups tightly packed.
- Soak the chopped jackfruit in water for about 5 to 10 mins to remove the gum, if any.
- Then, rinse the chopped jackfruit, add water as required and cook on medium to high flame.
- Cook the jackfruit to a soft texture.
Cook lentils
- While the jackfruit is cooking, take 3/4 cup pigeon pea lentils in a bowl and rinse them 2 to 3 times or until clean.
- Add the lentils in a pan or vessel and add 3 cups water or as required.
- Cook the lentils for about 10 minutes or until soft on a medium to high heat.
Make ground spice mix
- While the lentils and jackfruit are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a thick pan on a low heat.
- Add 1.5 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds.
- Fry them for a minute or till they become aromatic and crispy. Do not brown or burn them.
- Add 2 long dry red chillies or as required. Give a stir, and switch off the heat. Let the spices cool down.
- Take a fresh coconut and grate it - 2 to 3 tablespoons.
- Add grated coconut in a mixer or grinder jar.
- Add 1 teaspoon tamarind.
- Add fried spices and 2 tablespoons water or as required.
- Grind to a smooth paste. Cover and keep aside.
Make Huli
- Once the lentils are cooked to a soft texture, add cooked jackfruit and mix well.
- Add ground spices mix.
- Add 1/2 cup water in a mixer or grinder jar. Swirl and shake the jar so that the spice paste at the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water.
- Add the spice mixed water from the mixer jar.
- Mix well.
- Add salt as required. Mix well.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon jaggery and mix well.
- Let it boil for about 10 to 12 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
- Now switch off the heat. Cover and set aside.
Tempering
- In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Let them crackle.
- Add 1 generous pinch of asafoetida.
- Add curry leaves, and fry them for a couple of seconds.
- Switch off the heat and immediately add this tempering mixture in the hot Huli.
- Cover the pan or vessel with a lid for 5 minutes, so that the aroma and flavors from the tempering mixture gets infused with the Huli.
- Mix well and serve hot with plain rice.
Step by step guide
How to make Jackfruit Huli
Cook jackfruit
1. Take a fresh tender jackfruit, wash and remove the skin.
2. Cut the jackfruit into pieces – 3 cups tightly packed.
3. Soak the chopped jackfruit in water for about 5 to 10 mins to remove the gum, if any.
4. Then, rinse the chopped jackfruit, add water as required and cook on medium to high flame.
5. Cook the jackfruit to a soft texture.
Cook lentils
6. While the jackfruit is cooking, take 3/4 cup pigeon pea lentils in a bowl and rinse them 2 to 3 times or until clean.
7. Add the lentils in a pan or vessel and add 3 cups water or as required.
8. Cook the lentils for about 10 minutes or until soft on a medium to high heat.
Make ground spice mix
9. While the lentils and jackfruit are cooking, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a thick pan on a low heat.
10. Add 1.5 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds.
11. Fry them for a minute or till they become aromatic and crispy. Do not brown or burn them.
12. Add 2 long dry red chillies or as required. Give a stir, and switch off the heat. Let the spices cool down.
13. Take a fresh coconut and grate it - 2 to 3 tablespoons.
14. Add grated coconut in a mixer or grinder jar.
15. Add 1 teaspoon tamarind.
16. Add fried spices, and 2 tablespoons water or as required.
17. Grind to a smooth paste. Cover and keep aside.
Make Huli
18. Once the lentils are cooked to a soft texture, add cooked jackfruit and mix well.
19. Add ground spices mix.
20. Add 1/2 cup water in a mixer or grinder jar. Swirl and shake the jar so that the spice paste at the bottom and sides of the jar gets mixed with the water.
21. Add the spice mixed water from the mixer jar.
22. Mix well.
23. Add salt as required. Mix well.
24. Add 1/4 teaspoon jaggery and mix well.
25. Let it boil for about 10 to 12 minutes on medium heat. Stir occasionally.
26. Now switch off the heat. Cover and set aside.
Tempering
27. In a small pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. Let them crackle.
28. Add 1 generous pinch of asafoetida.
29. Add curry leaves, and fry them for a couple of seconds.
30. Switch off the heat and immediately add this tempering mixture in the hot Huli.
Cover the pan or vessel with a lid for 5 minutes, so that the aroma and flavors from the tempering mixture gets infused with the Huli.
31. Mix well and serve hot with plain rice.
Notes
-
Jackfruit and lentils cook time: Jackfruit takes more time than lentils to get cooked. Also, there are varieties in both jackfruit and pigeon pea lentils. Each type takes its own time to get cooked. So it is better to cook jackfruit and lentils separately.
