Jackfruit, Giguje & Udupi Cuisine

The Udupi Cuisine its own locus standi. I am one of the devotees of Udupi Cuisine. Lot of vegetarian self-styled Udupi restaurants have cropped up not only in the south but also across India claiming authenticity. I suspect less that 2% of these have actual Udupi folks in the kitchen. The authentic Udupi vegetarian spread originated from the Shivalli Brahmin community owing allegiance to the Sri Krishna Temple and the Mutt initiated by Sri Madhvacharya in the 12th century at Udupi, Karnataka.

Jackfruit (both raw & ripe pods) is a key ingredient in the Udupi Cuisine. Jackfruit seeds have an excellent nutty taste and are used extensively in special preparations like Kootu, etc. Jackfruit tree leaves are also used to impart that distinctive flavor to the food. Most food requiring steaming like Idlys, Puttu are wrapped in Jackfruit leaves (which are themselves too fibrous to be consumed).

When I was in Madikeri during early 90s, my mom used to prepare Giguje Palya, Giguje is a fruit from the Jackfruit family and is known as Breadfruit in the tropical countries, where it is extensively grown as a staple food. You prepare it similar to Aloo and has one of the best textures and flavors.

My father extracting the pods from the fruit (which is a skilled effort on its own). I got a big jackfruit on my way back from Madikeri near Hunsur (about 50 kms from Mysore)

This is the famous Giguje grown extensively in Madikeri, South Canara and surrounding areas. Excellent source of Carbs tastes similar to potato when cooked.