Sri Lankan jackfruit seed stir-fry

I love jackfruit seeds, and try and cook them every opportunity I get, despite the effort needed to peel them. If you see them already peeled, you are lucky! They taste like a cross between a Brazil nut and a cashew nut, sweet, nutty and delicious.

This is a super simple recipe that is so much fun. The nutty flavours are accentuated by the spices, they are almost addictive. This dish is traditionally served as a side, but I prefer to serve it as a snack with a glass of beer or drink of your choice.

This thin volume is a very specialized volume of recipes from the Jaffna Tamils of Sri Lanka. The book is unpretentious but filled with wonderful authentic recipes. I should be cooking from here more often.

For more recipes from this amazing cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 cups jackfruit seeds

1 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

3-4 tablespoons oil

Lime wedges

Make a long incision in the tough, slippery outer layer of the jackfruit seeds. Boil the jackfruit seeds in water with some salt for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of the seeds. Cool and peel. The incision makes it easier to get the slippery outer layer and the brown inner layer off. Yes, it is a bit of work, but it is so worth it!

Toss the jackfruit seeds with the chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Allow marination at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Heat a wok or frying pan with the oil. Add the coated seeds and the masala and sauté on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, till the masala has coated the seeds. Do not cook on a high flame as you will burn the spices.

Best if served immediately with wedges of lime.