Jackfruit Kababs --- JFI

I love Jackfruits! So, when Jai & Bee of Jugalbandi announced that they had chosen this amazing fruit for JFI-May, I was more than thrilled!! Jackfruit or 'Fanas' as it is called in Marathi can be seen in abundance in the months of May-June in India. Our summer shopping trips were never complete without the purchase of some sweet ripe jackruit (which we call 'Gare'), from the 'thelas' (handcarts) that used to be parked on the roadside, proudly displaying their treasures!
I also love the green raw jackfruit, more than the ripe one frankly. It has a very meaty texture and one needs to develop a taste for it. It is also difficult to cut through the fresh green jackfruit. I remember my mom dipping the knife in oil and smearing some oil on her hands before she cut it. It was a tedious task, but thanks to the canned jackfruit available here, all I have to do is open it with a can opener! Much simpler, right ? :)
My mom used to make a very spicy and delicious curry with raw jackfruit, which I love! But it is a little time-consuming and I did not have enough time to make it this time. So I chose an appetizer recipe from my mom's diary which is relatively quick to prepare and sinfully delicious! Enjoy!!

Jackfruit Kababs
Ingredients: (makes 12 kababs)
Raw Jackruit (1 can) or about 250 gms fresh
Chana dal 1/4 cup
Jeera (cumin seeds) 1/2 tsp
Kaale mire (black peppercorns) 1/2 tsp
Cloves 3
Cinnamon 1/2 a stick
Ginger 1" piece
Garlic cloves 2 big
Onion 1 medium sized
Red dry chillies 1
Green chiilies 1-2 (as per taste)
Cilantro 1-2 tsp
Water about 1 cup
Salt

Method:
If using fresh jackfruit, peel and chop it. For canned, just drain out the liquid. In a saucepan, put to boil the jackfruit pieces in the water along with half an onion, green and red chillies, dal, ginger, garlic, jeera, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon and salt. Simmer till tender and then let all the liquid evaporate completely.

Grind to a fine paste in a blender/food processor. Remove the spices that are difficult to grind. Mix remaining onion (chopped finely) and cilantro. Check for taste. Add a little cayenne pepper if its not spicy enough. Mix well and then make small flat patties. These can then either be deep fried in oil or baked in the oven. I generally bake them in a preheated 375 degrees oven till they are golden brown (this can take a while, say 40 mins). Serve with mint chutney.

(This picture was taken in hurry and hence not great, but I assure you the recipe is very good and it looks better than in this picture...)