Jackfruit: An Exotic Tropical Fruit
As summer season is here let’s revive our memories back with those summer vacations we have spent with our grandmother during our childhood having this seasonal fruit. This huge summer fruit is often referred to as an alternative of meat for the vegans and vegetarians due to its thick texture , Can you guess which fruit it is? Yes, Jackfruit being the largest tree-borne fruit in the world can be consumed raw or cooked into any dish. Let’s discuss in this article.
One unusual fruit that is edible both raw and ripe is jackfruit. Its outer skin is prickly and is green while raw, turning yellow as it ripens. When eaten as a fruit, it has a sweet, fruity flavor, but when cooked into curry or other savory dishes, it takes on the texture of shredded meat.
Benefits of Consuming Jackfruit
- It is Beneficial in Protecting Against Diseases- Jackfruit is a useful source of a wide variety of phytonutrients, vitamin C, carotenoids, polyphenols and flavonoids that are beneficial in protecting and preventing the development of certain chronic diseases, such as diabetes.
- It is Crucial in Maintaining a Healthy Heart -Jackfruit contains heart-friendly nutrients including potassium, fiber and antioxidants that work together to promote heart health. Henceforth, potassium works to counteract the harmful effects of sodium on blood pressure and fiber helps decrease cholesterol.
- It is Vital for Supporting Immune Function -The presence of gut-friendly fiber content along with beta-carotene supports immune health and potentially reduces the risk of viral infection. Additionally, it is a rich source of vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant that is essential for a healthy immune system.
- It Promotes Healthy Skin -Jackfruit is rich in vitamin C and antioxidant content making it beneficial in terms of improving skin health and preventing skin problems such as aging and in the production of collagen, which makes the skin look plump and smooth. It also contains phytonutrients (lignans, isoflavones and saponins), that have an anti-aging effect.
- It Prevents Cellular Damage- Jackfruit is rich in a variety of protective plant compounds, but is especially high in vitamin C and carotenoid antioxidants. The major carotenoids concentrated in jackfruit have powerful cellular-protective properties reducing the cellular damage that may otherwise lead to disease by neutralizing reactive compounds called free radicals, which can harm health when numbers grow too high in the body.
Here is a Vegan take on a Classic Pot Roast dish, you must try
Jackfruit Pot Roast
Serving Size: 1–2
Ingredients:
- Jackfruit — 1 1/2 Young (unripe) jackfruit
- Potato — 1 Cup
- Baby carrots — 1 Cup
- White onion — 1 (Small diced onion)
- Garlic- 4 cloves ( Minced)
- Olive oil — 2 Tablespoons
- Vegetable Broth — 2 Cups
- Dried thyme — 1 teaspoon
- Dried rosemary — 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper — ½ teaspoon
- Cornstarch — 2 tablespoons
- Salt — as per taste
Method of Preparation
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a stockpot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion for 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and jackfruit and cook over medium flame for one more minute.
- Add thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. In a measuring cup/ bowl, whisk together the broth and cornstarch until fully combined and then mix into the pot with the jackfruit. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour the jackfruit mixture over top of the diced carrots and potatoes. Bake for 40 minutes or until the veggies are fork tender and ready to eat. Let cool slightly and enjoy!
Ways to Consume Jackfruit
Jackfruit is very versatile and can be eaten raw or cooked. It can be consumed plain or cooked into both sweet and savory dishes, depending on its ripeness.
- Vegetarians and vegans can often use jackfruit as a meat alternative due to its texture. For example, you can use the fruit as a meat replacement in jackfruit tacos by cooking it and then combining it with vegetables and seasonings.
- It can also be used to make colorful crispy baked cutlets, which are a great option to satisfy your appetites in the evening.
- It can be incorporated into curries, soups, yogurt and oatmeal.
- The jackfruit seeds can be roasted or boiled and then combined with seasonings and in making dips such as hummus.
- It can be incorporated into making a delicious dessert, which can be a great replacement for the regular sweets available in the market, as it can be prepared at home using easily available ingredients.
Jackfruit is an exotic tropical fruit with a subtle sweet flavor that is consumed in many parts of the world. It provides a moderate amount of calories in addition to lots of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Henceforth, it is quite versatile as it can be eaten raw, cooked, ripe or unripe and tastes great in a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/jackfruit-benefits
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-jackfruit-and-is-it-healthy
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6339770
