JEEV KADGI BHUTHI

 JEEV KADGI BHUTHI

Many of you will be familiar with the breadfruit. This is a cousin of the more common jackfruit and is available and popular in the coastal belts of Karnataka and Kerala.  In my mother tongue, Konkani, breadfruit is called Jeev Kadgi. This is called Gujjekai in Kannada and Kadda Chakka in Malayalam.  

Breadfruit has numerous health benefits so we use this in our diet whenever it is in season. 

Today's recipe is so quintessentially "Mangaluru", that I thought I should share recipes of some other dishes from our Mangaluru region in my blog, such as:- 

• Amatekai (Indian Hog Plum) Gojju
• Maanji Pulimunchi 
• Magge (Mangalore Cucumber) Dosa 

Recently, I had been to the Mangalore Stores near where we live and picked up a good sized breadfruit. This prompted me to make an old favourite dish from our Konkani GSB cuisine called - Jeev Kadgi Bhuthi.

Do try it out and let me know how you liked it! 

Ingredients:-

• Jeev Kadgi ( Breadfruit), 450 gms
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Roasted Byadgi Red Chillies, 6
• Tamarind, size of a marble
• Coriander Seeds, 2 tsp
• Onions, 2
• Salt, to taste
• Coconut Oil, 1 and 1/2 to 2 tbsp

Method:-

Wash the jeev kadai (breadfruit) , remove the stalk and peel

Cut the breadfruit into small pieces 

Chop the onion

Heat oil in a thick-bottomed kadhai and add the chopped onions and saute till they become translucent

To this add the breadfruit pieces, sprinkle a little water and cook on medium heat, stirring from time to time, till it gets cooked 

Make sure the breadfruit pieces are properly cooked yet remain firm 

In a mixer jar, grind together the coconut gratings, roasted Byadgi red chillies, tamarind and coriander seeds. ( We need not roast the coriander seeds for this dish before grinding) 

Grind these to a paste adding just the required amount of water

Add this ground paste and salt to taste to the cooked breadfruit and mix well 

Cook covered on low flame and stir from time to time till the excess water evaporates and the breadfruit pieces get well blended with the ground paste

Switch off the flame and transfer this to a serving bowl 

Serve the Jeev Kadgi Bhuthi as a side dish with rice and dal