Jackfruit Tacos, served with a unique jackfruit salsa, is a healthy vegetarian alternative to pulled pork tacos. Spice up the tacos, filled with veggies such as capsicum and jalapeno, with yummy additions, including chopped avocado, queso fresco (Mexican cheese), creamy and slightly tangy Mexican crema, and cilantro.
Tracking The History Of Tacos
Tacos comprise tortillas wrapped with various kinds of fillings, ranging from non-vegetarian to vegetarian. The dish, which has become ubiquitous all over the world, was invented in Mexico. Tortillas are crispy wrappers made from corn (it can also be made with flour) and are the staple ingredient in almost all Mexican food.
Tacos can be made in a variety of ways, such as fish tacos and burritos, also called breakfast tacos (but which can also be eaten for lunch or dinner) that usually contain a filling of eggs, pieces of meat, and bits of cheese.
The Jack Of Fruits
The origins of jackfruit are in the Western Ghats of Southern India but is now grown in different parts of the world, such as the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Africa, and Brazil. This fruit is usually quite large in size and can also be found in smaller-sized variants. It is excellent for health as it is a rich source of potassium, phosphorus, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, sodium, zinc, and niacin.
Jackfruit Tacos is a simple preparation, though care must be taken while cutting the fruit as the outside is thorny and slicing through the fruit takes skill. Below is the recipe:
Ingredients
To make the tacos:
• 1 small jackfruit drained and rinsed in water or brine, and then sliced long and thin
• Cooking oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 juiced lime
• 1/4 cup ready-made salsa
• 1/4 cup water
• Flour or corn tortillas
• Salt and pepper
• Cilantro for garnish
• Queso fresco for garnish (optional)
• Mexican crema for garnish (optional)
For the salsa sauce:
• 1 cup diced jackfruit
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• ¼ red chopped capsicum
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño
• 1 cup cilantro (chopped)
• ½ lime’s juice extracted
• Salt and pepper to taste
Method
• To make the tacos, take a frying pan, and on medium heat, sauté, for about six minutes, the oil and onions until the latter is translucent
• Add the jackfruit, stir a bit. Then add the chilli powder, cumin, lime juice, water and salsa. Cover and put on medium heat. Take off stove once the jackfruit becomes soft and with a fork, shred it, then add salt and pepper as per your taste
• Extract the fruit and make the salsa
• Cut the jackfruit lengthwise, carefully take out the pods and seeds separately. Put the pods in one bowl and the seeds in another
• Cut the fruit into small pieces to make the salsa
• Mix the cut jackfruit and all the salsa ingredients in a bowl. Add salt and pepper as per your taste
• Heat the tortillas over a naked flame until it is charred. Fill the tortilla with jackfruit flesh and top with jackfruit salsa. Add chopped avocado, queso fresco, Mexican crema and cilantro
• Serve with chilli sauce
Jackfruit is often used as a substitute for meat for its fleshy, stringy texture. This mock meat is a perfect vegetarian alternative to many meat dishes, such as jackfruit curry made in a non-vegetarian style and Jackfruit Biryani.
