Malabar Spinach and Jackfruit Seeds Curry – a traditional Mangalorean coconut based curry made with Malabar spinach and jackfruit seeds.
Malabar Spinach is a commonly grown leafy green along the coastal regions of Karnataka, especially Mangalore. Malabar spinach is a much loved vegetable by Mangaloreans. It is known as Basale in Tulu (local langue spoken in Mangalore) and Vaali in Konkani. It is often combined with chavli/ raw papaya/ horsegram/ jackfruit seeds/ prawns/ clams and cooked in a coconut based curry.
In summers, when jackfruit is in season, after consuming the fruit, jackfruit seeds are not thrown away. They are boiled or roasted and served as a snack. They are also used to make sabzis and curries. One such curry is jackfruit seeds with Malabar spinach. Malabar spinach and jackfruit seeds are cooked in a coconut based curry and served with steamed brown rice with either papad and pickle or fried fish on the side. It makes for a comforting meal.
I am sure all Mangaloreans at some point or other have had Malabar spinach and jackfruit seeds curry with rice, and if not, then this is the time to make this curry. Jackfruit is in season and Malabar spinach is easily available with vegetable vendors. Malabar spinach can be easily grown in pots too. If you love gardening and want to try your hand at growing Malabar spinach, then do check this post.
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List of Ingredients required to make this curry
Veggies : Malabar Spinach, onion and tomato
Jackfruit Seeds
Spices: dry red chillies , coriander seeds, cumin seeds , mustard seeds , black peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder
Garlic, coconut and salt
For tempering : coconut oil, mustard seeds, garlic, dry red chilly and curry leaves.
Step-wise recipe with pictures
Wash Malabar spinach well.
Separate the leaves from its stem and chop them roughly. Cut the stems into 2 inches sized pieces.
Place each jackfruit seed on kitchen platform and crush with a pestle. Once the seeds are crushed, the skin comes out easily. Peel and discard the skin.
Transfer the chopped leaves, stems and crushed jackfruit seeds to a pressure cooker. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and 2 cups of water.
Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
In the meanwhile, prepare masala for the gravy. Heat a pan and dry roast red chillies on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep aside.
Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and fenugreek seeds on low flame till they turn aromatic.
Allow the roasted spices to cool down.
Transfer the roasted spices to a mixer jar. Add chopped onions, garlic , coconut and turmeric powder. Add around ½ cup water and blend to a fine paste.
Add the masala paste to the cooked spinach and jackfruit seeds. Rinse the mixer jar and add that water.
You can add water if required to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Mix well. Bring the curry to a boil and simmer for few minutes.
For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, dry red chilly, crushed garlic, and curry leaves. When the mustard seeds start spluttering, pour the tempering into the spinach gravy.
Serve Malabar spinach and jackfruit seeds curry with brown, boiled rice and pickle on the side.
Notes:
In case you have Mangalorean curry powder handy, then to prepare the masala – all you have to do is blend coconut, curry powder, onion and garlic to a fine paste.
Recipe Card
Malabar Spinach & Jackfruit Seeds Curry
Ingredients
- 1 big bunch of Malabar spinach (mayalu )
- 18 to 20 jackfruit seeds
- 1 small tomato, chopped
- 5 to 7 dry red chillies ( I have used a mix of Kashmiri and Guntur chillies)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds (dhaniya)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ tsp mustard seeds (rai/sarso)
- ¼ tsp black peppercorns (kali mirch)
- 4 to 5 fenugreek seeds (methi)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped
- 4 Â cloves of garlic
- 1 cup fresh coconut, grated
- salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large pod of garlic with skin, crushed
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 dry red chilly
- few curry leaves
Instructions
- Wash Malabar spinach well.
- Separate the leaves from its stem and chop them roughly.
- Cut the stems into 2 inches sized pieces.
- Place the jackfruit seeds on kitchen platform or a hard surface. Crush each seed with a pestle.
- Once the seeds are crushed, the skin comes out easily. Peel and discard the skin.
- Transfer the chopped leaves, stems and crushed jackfruit seeds to a pressure cooker.
- Add chopped tomato, salt and 2 cups of water.
- Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- In the meanwhile, prepare masala for the gravy.
- Heat a pan and dry roast red chillies on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep aside.
- Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, black peppercorns and fenugreek seeds on low flame till they turn aromatic.
- Allow the roasted spices to cool down.
- Transfer the roasted spices to a mixer jar.
- Add chopped onions, garlic , coconut and turmeric powder.
- Add around ½ cup water and blend to a fine paste.
- Â Add the masala paste to the cooked spinach and jackfruit seeds.
- Rinse the mixer jar and add that water.
- You can add more water if required to adjust the consistency of the gravy. Mix well.
- Bring the curry to a boil and simmer for few minutes.Â
- For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds, crushed garlic, dry red chilly and curry leaves. Â
- When the mustard seeds start spluttering, pour the tempering into the spinach gravy.
- Serve hot with brown, boiled rice and  pickle on the side.
Recipe Video
More Mangalorean Recipes
Malabar Spinach & Chavli Curry
Prawns & Okra Curry
Suran Chana Sukka
Jackfruit Chana Sukka
Padengi Batata Gassi
Kori Rotti
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Happy Cooking!!
very delicious preparation
Thanks