Jackfruit Seed Thoran Chakkakuru Thoran

Thoran – a simple dry curry/stir-fry with coconut flavors, is an integral part of Kerala cuisine. There are different kinds of dry curries in Kerala cuisine like upperi, mezhukkupuratti, and thoran. All these dry curries are similar but with subtle differences, and the preparation varies with the region.

Thoran

And when it comes to thoran, we grind the coconut and some spices and stir-fry it with the veggies. We usually don’t add water while grinding the coconut mix for thoran. You can make thoran with cabbage, carrot, beans, plantain, beetroot, and many more. Today I am going to share how to make thoran with jackfruit seeds. In Malayalam, jackfruit seeds are called chakkakuru. In Tamil, it is palakottai. You can find a lot of recipes with jackfruit seeds, and yes, they are edible. :-) Thoran is a perfect side dish for rice and other gravies. Onam sadya is incomplete without the thoran. There will be a thoran prepared with a seasonal veggie on the menu. I have already shared an onam sadya menu on my blog, and I have discussed onam on the thali post.

Onam

Onam is one of the important festivals in Kerala, and it’s a 10-day festival. People celebrate the annual visit of King Mahabali by decorating with flower rangolis, and they worship Lord Vamana. Lord Vamana is the fifth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, where he gives Moksha to the king Mahabali when he surrenders himself for the third pace of the land. Onam festival is known for the pompous feast called the Sadya and the beautiful flower decorations(pookolam) and also for boat races. Let’s talk about the feast/sadya now. Onam feast with twenty-plus dishes is typically served in the banana leaf. Avial, thoran, eriserry, puliserry, puli milagai, pachadi, kichadi, Olan, and the list go on. Today let’s see a thoran recipe.

Jackfruit seeds

Jackfruits are very popular and available in abundance in Kerala and also in Tamil Nadu. I grew up eating mangoes and jackfruits. You can make delicious dishes with tender jackfruit, and it’s becoming popular as mock meat. Do check out my curry and biryani recipe with tender jackfruit. Jackfruit may not be fruit for diabetic patients, but the seeds are perfect for everyone. It is loaded with fiber, resistant starch, a fair amount of Vitamin B, and small amounts of minerals. You can read more about its benefits here. The taste profile of boiled jackfruit seeds is more like potatoes. The boiled seeds are creamy, and you can use them in curries and gravies. I usually pressure cook the seeds so that they become soft and tender. You need to peel the outer layer, which is hard. The thin layer inside is edible.

Storing Jackfruit Seeds

During the jackfruit season, I buy fresh fruit. This time I was able to find it in Costco. After relishing the fruit, I save the seeds. I usually wash them well in warm water to remove the stickiness and dry them in the sun for a couple of days and refrigerate it. Then whenever required, I boil them or dry roast them according to the recipe. I always have some stock of Jackfruit seeds at home. Do checkout my jackfruit seed kootu and kuzhambu recipe.

Dietary specifications

This jackfruit seed thoran is vegan by nature. You can skip the asafoetida or use gluten-free asafoetida for the gluten-free version. Now without any further ado, let’s get straight into the recipe.

Jackfruit seed thoran recipe with step-wise pictures

Pressure cook the jackfruit seeds

Pressure cook the jackfruit seeds for three whistles and let them cool.

Once they are cooled down, peel the skin and chop them lengthwise or as you desire. I went with small pieces. Note: Some seeds are easy to peel. You can also use a knife or peeler to remove the hardened layer. The thin inner layer is also brown, and that’s edible.

Prepare the coconut paste.

In a mixer jar, pulse the coconut, green chili, ginger, and cumin seeds without adding any water.

Make sure you grind them coarse.

Prepare the thoran.

Heat a pan or kadai and add the coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Now add the chopped onions.

When the onions are soft, add the cooked and chopped jackfruit seeds, salt, and the ground paste. Mix well and let it cook over medium-low heat for three to five minutes or until the raw smell of the coconut mix goes off. I usually let the coconut turn light brown, and we love that flavor. Make sure to mix the thoran in between.

That’s it the thoran is ready. Serve it along with rice and curry of your choice.

Recipe Notes:

Adjust the salt and green chili measure as per your preference.Shallots are optional, but it does add a unique flavor. I have tried the thoran without any shallots and garlic. Some times I add them both or just the shallots alone. For this measure, you can add one garlic clove.You can grind one shallot along with the coconut mixture also. In that case, make sure you saute the thoran well so that the raw smell of the shallots is gone. You can prepare similar thoran with other veggies like cabbage, carrots, beans, etc. I highly recommend coconut oil for the thoran recipe.

Explore more veggie stir-frys

PS – If you try this jackfruit seed thoran, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates.