Pickled or Brined Raw Jackfruit Rotti Recipe | Vegan and Gluten Free Jackfruit in Brine Flat Bread

Vegan as well as gluten-free ~ Pickled or Brined Jackfruit Rotti

Yesterday I went to work, little late than usual, and sat at my desk. I was there, physically, in my office tapping the keyboard and scrutinising the lengthy program looking for the line of code that stopped the program from running smoothly, as it should be! I sat there, may be for few minutes or was it an hour, tapping my fingers on lips, something I always do when I am concentrating while my glasses slowly slipped to tip of my nose… the seconds turned to minutes, slowly creeping to hour… but I was still staring at the monitor with a deep frown. A simple task of decoding which would usually take few minutes but not this time! What was wrong?

Well, nothing! It was then I realised that although I was there in my office, physically, staring at the program with concentration, my mind was blank! Blank as in blank paper, a blank chalk board, a blank wall and like a blank canvas… It was one of the very rare occasions when my mind, where zillions things happen at lightening speed, goes blank with no thoughts, memories or talk… I didn’t realise for how I sat there, with nothing running in my mind, oblivious to the busy buzzing world moving around me until a colleague came and tapped shoulder! At that moment I could feel zillions thoughts rushing back to my mind, more strongly than ever at frightening speed! The experience was very similar to ripples formed on the surface of clear and pure still water when someone throws a pebble after pebble until the water turns muddy and impure! I just wished that I had few more minutes of this ‘blank’ state of mind where I was part of the world and yet away from it, like water drops on a lotus leaves… You are there and still not really there…

Pickled or Brined Jackfruit Rotti

Once home, I sat at my desk trying to pen down the experience but unable to find a place to start the story. I had to write about it but didn’t know how to express it. I mean, I am not exactly a writer but more of a random rambler, sharing my memories, life’s stories and experiences through my rants! When the writers write they know where the story will lead to, ending it with the full stops that always come after commas and semi colons. They know their characters and how to tie loose ends. And importantly they know the end even before they begin! But for a random rambler like me, there is no beginning and the end! The experience like above is difficult to pen down, it can only be lived and then sighed on… I tried, but failed to share it through words because words don’t do justice to the state of bliss I felt… The state of calm, a place of oblivion!

But now I have to drag myself to real world, real people and real reals (ah, I know it is not even a word!)… And what I see around me is spring in full bloom! Glorious, glorious sun shining on perfect blue skies and birds tweeting in the garden full of spring blooms… The beautiful daffodils are swaying to soft breeze and the bees buzzing with excitement in search of heavenly nectar from gorgeous blooms. And for me, I am living a blissful life of happiness. The compulsion to write is buffered by the intensity of the life I am living, weaving beautiful memories all the way with my loved ones! Ahhh, what a beautiful spring it is… Even the fact that I have to go to work every morning is not strong enough reason to put me off. Come evening, and I will become a child with my child… Life, you are too beautiful and let me live you to the fullest!!! After all, I am not regretting any more of woken from my state of calm and brought back from a place of oblivion anymore as the real life has so much to offer. Let me grab it with both my hands and enjoy as long it lasts…

Gluten free and delight to eat ~ Pickled or Brined Jackfruit Rotti served with Mango Ginger and Coconut Chutney

And for you, my friends, I have some special recipe to share. This one is from home, Mangalore, where every single seasonal fruit and vegetable grown at my parent’s home and farm are lovingly preserved to be consumed in the days when they are long gone from trees. Some are pickled and some are made into jams. Some are sundried and some are pureed into sauces. In which ever forms they may be, the bring back the happy memories when they touch the taste buds and you can just sit there with a silly smile on your lips thinking about them.

One favourite fruit of mine is Jackfruit. My mom pickles them in a simple brine (rock salt + boiled and cooled water) when they are raw. These Brined Raw Jackfruits are used in making simple Palya, Bolu Kodhel and also in making delicious Brined or Pickled Raw Jackfruit Rotti! If you ask me to choose my favourite between three of the above, I will promptly say all three of them! It is impossible to choose my favourite recipe of pickled raw jackfruits as each one of them cannot be compared with other recipes. The recipe for Brined or Pickled Raw Jackfruit Rotti is very simple and straightforward with out any frills or fancy ingredients. It is simple, gluten free, vegan friendly, rustic and absolute delight to eat! It is difficult to say it in words as how it tastes as it is one of those recipes that needs to be made at home and relished at leisure to experience the true taste…

Pickled Raw Jackfruit or Jackfruit in Brine

Jackfruit in Brine + Coconut + Rice Flour ~ It cant get simpler than this!

Simple and quick to make ~ Pickled or Brined Jackfruit Rotti

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Brined or Pickled Raw Jackfruit Rotti (Gluten free and vegan flat bread made using raw jackfruit in brine or pickled raw jackfruit, rice flour and freshly grated coconut)

Prep Time: 20-25 mins

Cooking Time: 3-5 mins each for cooking individual flat breads

Makes: Around 12 Rotties

Serves: 4-6 people

Recipe Level: Intermediary

Spice Level: Low to Medium

Recipe Source: My Amma

Shelf Life: Best served fresh as the flat bread becomes little hard when cooled. Rotti dough can be stored in refrigeratot for up to 3 days

Serving Suggestion: With any coconut based chutney or with a dollop of butter and sugar

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Ingredients:
1½ cups Pickled Raw Jackfruit/Jackfruit in Brine (Read notes)
1 cup grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
2½ cups Rice Flour
2-3 Green Chillies (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Ghee/Oil to cook the Rotti
Salt to taste

Pickled or Brined Jackfruit Rotti

Method:
Prepare the Dough:

1. Rinse the pickled raw jackfruit 4-5 times and then soak it in a bowl of water for few minutes. Drain the water and squeeze out the excess water using hands. This will help in reducing the saltiness from pickled raw jackfruit.
2. Transfer the jackfruit, green chillies, and freshly grated coconut into a mixer jar or food processor and grind them to smooth paste without adding any water.
3. Now add cumin seeds and rice flour to the ground paste and start to knead into pliable dough. Add salt only if required as the salt in pickled raw jackfruit is usually enough for the taste. It is best to start with 2 cups of rice flour and increase the amount until you can pat the dough into puris. If you add less rice flour, the flat bread will easily break while cooking and if you add too much, the flat bread will turn too chewy and will harden once cooled. So my best bet is to add more or less of 2½ cups of rice flour. (See the image above for reference)
4. Let it rest for 15 mins for all the flavours to blend well.

Proceed to make Rotti:

1. First start heating tawa or griddle on medium flame.
2. Take ping-pong sized ball and start patting them into ½ cm thick rounds using your fingers on a greased banana leaf/aluminium foil.
3. Gently transfer the rotti to heated tawa. Drizzle little oil or ghee around the rotti and let it cook uncovered for 2-3 minutes on medium flame until the sides turn light brown and crisp.
4. Flip the rotti and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes until brown spots start to appear.
5. Serve this absolutely delicious Pickled or Brined Raw Jackfruit Rotti with a dollop of homemade butter mixed with sugar or any spicy coconut based chutney or on its own! Heaven!!!

Simple, rustic and delicous ~ Pickled or Brined Raw Jackfruit Rotti

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Sia’s Notes:

• Take care when you add salt as usually the amount of salt present in pickled jackfruit is quite high and more than sufficient.
• My grandmother, mom and aunts make big batch of raw jackfruits in brine or pickled jackfruit when jackfruits are in season. I haven’t come across or heard of any stores that sell the ready to use pickled jackfruits. So if you want to enjoy this delicious Pickled or Brined Raw Jackfruit Rotti, my best bet is to make them at home. It can take anything between 15 days to 1 month for them to be ready for cooking and you can store them in a dark and cool place for up to a year!
• When adding rice flour to the ground paste, it is best to start with 2 cups of rice flour and increase the amount until you can pat the dough into puris. If you add less rice flour, the flat bread will easily break while cooking and if you add too much, the flat bread will turn too chewy and will harden once cooled. So my best bet is to add more or less of 2½ cups of rice flour.