Alma Bax 
This is a recipe for Raw Jackfruit Pickle (Kadgi Nonché) that is popular in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The dish is made with raw jackfruit, salt, sugar, mustard seeds, and red chilli powder.
Raw jackfruit pickle is a popular Indian dish that is made of jackfruit. The fruit is shredded, soaked in salt water, and then mixed with spices before being cooked.
Raw jackfruit pickle (kadgi nonche). sour, sour, sour, sour, sour, sour, delectable… Summertime in Konkani homes necessitates the preparation of this dish. Curd rice, dalithoy and rice, steaming hot congee, dosas, idlis, and just about anything else.
Pickles have long been a tradition in Konkani families. Throughout the year, we produce raw mango pickle, raw jackfruit pickle, bamboo shot pickle, hog plum pickle, bilimbi pickle, and a variety of other pickles. These spicy pickles are well with idlis, dosas, hot congee, curd rice, dalithoy rice, and just about anything else.
Tender raw jackfruits are used in Konkani homes to create delectable pickles known as kadgi nonche. Pickles are prepared with just raw jackfruits or with raw mangoes, bilimbi, and hog plums for added tanginess.
When prepared properly, raw jackfruit pickle may be kept for 5-7 days at room temperature and for 2-3 months, occasionally up to a year, in the refrigerator. Raw jackfruit pickles are ready to eat as soon as they’re made. When the raw jackfruits in the pickle have a wonderful crisp bite to them, that’s when they’re ready. Raw jackfruit chunks in the pickle lose their firmness and become mushy as time passes. Raw jackfruit pickle is finest after a week or two of preparation, when the spiciness, saltiness, and tanginess of the pickle have melded together well.
In Konkani, raw jackfruit pickle is known as kadgi nonche; kadgi means raw jackfruit and nonche means pickle.
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (1/2 kilogram) tender raw jackfruit
- Depending on their size, 25-30 raw bilimbi/8-10 raw, ripe mangoes
- a quarter-kilo of dried red chilies
- mustard seeds (1/2 cup)
- Asafoetida crystals the size of chickpeas
- 2 quarts rock salt
Time to prepare: 1-2 hours
Serves 35-40 people
Making pickles using the appropriate raw jackfruit:
To create this pickle, use as many delicate raw jackfruits as feasible. This pickle is best made with the most tender raw jackfruits. Tips for identifying delicate raw jackfruits that are ideal for pickling:
1. The thorns on the sensitive jackfruit peel would be little and inconspicuous, and they would be extremely close together.
The pickle – kadgi nonche – is best made using raw jackfruits, as seen on the left in the photo below.
The raw jackfruit below is nearly ready to eat. The thorns on the peel are evenly distributed and completely developed. They’re not the greatest choice for making pickles. The small raw jackfruit on the left in the photo below, on the other hand, are ideal for pickling.
2. The seeds in the raw jackfruit would have just recently developed and be extremely mushy.
This is how you can tell whether raw jackfruit is soft and suitable for pickling.
P.S. While a little amount of mature raw jackfruit may be used to create pickle, the tenderest raw jackfruits are ideal. When I say small mature raw jackfruits, I’m referring to raw jackfruits with developed seeds but mushy interiors. You can’t utilize the seeds in pickles after they start to harden. The texture will be off, and they will dissolve into the pickle, losing their form.
You’ll need the following ingredients to prepare raw jackfruit:
- A sharp sickle (known in Konkani as koithi) or knife.
- There are plenty of fresh newspapers.
- Grease your palms and knives with coconut oil or any other oil.
- Several dishes to store chopped raw jackfruits and the skin that has been discarded.
- To pickle them, use large ceramic jars (bharani in Konkani) or glass jars.
- Paper towels
You’ll need the following items to make pickles:
1. A large number of clean, dry containers, plates, and a towel are required. 2. A large number of clean, dry spoons. 3. Grind in a dry mixer/grinder.
Method of Preparation:
Preparing jackfruit in its uncooked state:
1. On the floor or at your table, spread down three layers of newspapers. It’s a nuisance to wipe jackfruit sap off the floor or table afterwards.
2. To keep jackfruit gum from adhering to your knife/sickle blade and your hands, apply a sufficient quantity of oil to your knife/sickle blade and your hands.
3. Cut the raw jackfruit in half through the center, wiping away the white sap with a tissue paper.
4. Cut it into half more finely. Depending on the size of the item, cut it into half. Using tissue papers, wipe away the sticky sap. In Konkani, these halves are known as’shedo.’
5. Chop off the prickly outer skin of raw jackfruit until the surface is smooth and the thorny outer skin is gone.
6. Remove the jackfruit’s interior core from each slice using a knife. The firm, white part at the top of each slice is the inner jackfruit core.
7. Next, cut the jackfruit into 1/2-inch thick slices and set them aside.
Preparing raw jackfruit for pickling:
8. In a cooking pan, heat 1/2 litre of water with 1/2 cup of rock salt and diced tender raw jackfruit. Cook until the delicate raw jackfruit is almost done.
9. Turn off the heat and keep the lid closed. We simply want the delicate raw jackfruit to cook through without becoming soft.
Allowing raw jackfruit to get overdone or squishy is not a good idea. Raw jackfruit that has been cooked should have a good bite to it.
You may also use 2-3 cups of water and 1/2 cup of rock salt to cook delicious raw jackfruit in a pressure cooker for only a whistle. However, you must ensure that the delicate raw jackfruit does not get soft. They aren’t appropriate for use in a pickle if they get soft.
10. Remove it from the heat and set it aside to cool fully.
Preparation of bilimbi, hog plums, and raw mangoes:
11. In a wok, heat 3/4 cup rock salt for 5-6 minutes. So that they heat up evenly, saute them. This aids in the removal of all of the surplus water. During the procedure, all of the remaining water evaporates. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool fully.
12. In the meanwhile, scrub and wash bilimbi (bimbal in Konkani). Then, depending on their size, slit each bilimbi into 2, 4, or 6 pieces. Add the cooled rock salt, stir well, and let away for at least 30 minutes to absorb the salt.
OR
13. Use ripe, raw mangoes if you’re using raw mangoes (ambuli in Konkani). Remove the twig and cut it into cubes after washing them and wiping them clean with a dry towel. Its hard seed should be discarded. Place them in a dry, airtight jar with cooled rock salt and let aside for 3 hours.
To get the tanginess, use mature raw mangoes rather than delicate raw mangoes.
OR
14. If you’re using hog plums (ambado in Konkani), wash, dry, and cut them into pieces if they’re delicate. If you’re using mature hog plums, be sure to crush them thoroughly. Place them in a dry, airtight jar with cooled rock salt and let aside for 3 hours.
It’s very improbable that the hog plum and raw jackfruit seasons would coincide in coastal Karnataka. It’s possible that they won’t be accessible at the same time of year. As a result, utilize raw mango or bilimbi.
The next step is to:
15. Once the cooked raw jackfruit has cooled fully, drain out all of the water into a container. If you don’t make sure it’s completely cold and at room temperature, the pickle will rot.
16. In a jar, combine cooked raw jackfruit pieces with bilimbi/raw mangoes/hog plums and let aside for at least an hour in an airtight container to allow the raw jackfruit to absorb the salt.
To make salt water for grinding pickles, follow these steps:
17. Bring half a litre of water to a boil with the remaining 3/4 cup rock salt. The water should then be simmered for 5-6 minutes. We’ll need salt water that’s been condensed.
18. Allow this water to cool fully before using it. Then grind pickles with it.
Pickle grinding:
19. Soak asafoetida in cold salt water for 30 minutes. In the water, it should fully dissolve.
20. Meanwhile, in a dry mixer jar, grind mustard seeds and red chilies into fine powders and set aside. Ensure that the mixer bowl and cap are totally dry and free of any water.
21. Combine the powders, as well as the melted asafoetida, in a blender with enough cooled salt water to create a smooth paste.
22. For a really smooth textured pickle, use a clean, dry ‘wet grinder.’ Alternatively, you may ground the pickle in the same mixer you used previously; however, the texture of the pickle will not be as smooth as it would be with a wet grinder.
23. Place the ground pickle in a dry container and set it aside for 30 minutes. The pickle cools off a bit after 30 minutes of pounding. Just a precaution to keep the pickles from spoiling and extending their shelf life.
24. In the meanwhile, check the pickle’s consistency. A semi-thick pickle is required. To get the required consistency, add additional salt water to the pickle or utilize the brine produced in the bilimbi/raw mangoes/hog plums jars.
25. Add pickled raw jackfruit, pickled bilimbi/raw mangoes/hog plums from the jars to the ground pickle and mix thoroughly after approximately 30 minutes of grinding.
If the brine dilutes the pickle, don’t add more. Remove the raw jackfruit, bilimbi/hog plum, and raw mango pieces from the pickle and add them to the pickle.
26. Store pickle in a dry, airtight container, taking care not to let any water enter the pickle. Pickle deterioration is accelerated by the presence of water.
27. If you plan on eating the pickle within 5-7 days, keep it at room temperature; otherwise, keep it refrigerated. It’ll last for another 2-3 months after that.
Raw jackfruit is also a popular ingredient in Konkani cuisine.
Tags: nonche, kadgi, bilimbi, bimbla nonche, ambuli, raw mango, hog plum, ambade nonche, ambado, GSB Konkani recipe, vegan, vegetarian, South Canara Konkani food, Konkani cooking, GSB Konkani cuisine
Related Tags
- indian pickle
- frozen jackfruit
- what is jack fruit
About Author
Ben Austin 