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Login9 Regional Jackfruit Recipes To Try Making This Summer Seaso
6 Min
10/04/20266 Min10/04/2026
What comes to your mind when you see the word jackfruit recipes? Is it tacos or burgers advertising “vegan meat”? Or perhaps a more local fare, like a biryani? You’re not wrong. All those dishes definitely use jackfruit. But there’s a lot more, regional, hyperlocal fare in store for anyone who loves jackfruit, new dishes, or simply wants to surprise their taste buds.
There’s a reason why a single, or even a hundred, cookbooks won’t be able to cover the depth and breadth of Indian cooking. Because Indian cooking varies with every region, even when the ingredients or spices remain the same, the dish takes on a new flavour. It could be the cooking technique, serving style, prep, or even a secret blend that turns your daily staples and core ingredients into a fresh new dish. And if there’s one ingredient that can justify this claim, it’s the jackfruit, called kathal in India. From stir fries to curries, desserts, and even smoothies, jackfruit can be integrated into anything and everything on the menu. But to start with, here are regional jackfruit recipes from across India that celebrate the largest tree fruit.
Kathal or jackfruit isn’t as popular as the potatoes and tomatoes of the kitchen world because it can be tricky to cut.
Jackfruit, or kathal, is often called vegan meat because of its fibrous, meat-like texture. And this comes in handy when preparing a semi-dry, curry-like sabzi. Kathal ki sazbi is one of the easier jackfruit recipes to try, and is particularly popular in North India. While homes across both regions have their own cooking techniques, the basic recipe remains the same.
While the North Indian style of kathal uses a pressure cooker to speed up the process, the Champaran handi kathal is a slow-cooking dish. Champaran refers to a region in Bihar, while handi is an earthen or metal pot commonly used in Indian cooking. Here, the kathal is slow-cooked in an earthen pot (mitti ki handi) with special spices. The result is a dish with a rich, smoky aroma and a balanced medley of flavours that comes alive in every bite.
Panasa Pottu Kura is a traditional Andhra delicacy made from steamed and shredded raw jackfruit. Panasa refers to jackfruit in Odia and Telugu, while pottu means finely shredded/husked. The kura, thus, has a fine, shredded texture and a unique, slightly nutty taste and pungent flavour due to the use of mustard paste, lentils, and tamarind. It’s enjoyed with hot rice and ghee and specially prepared for festive occasions or celebrations, like a marriage ceremony.
This one’s a stir-fry, and a bloody good one at that! One of the many savoury jackfruit recipes, the phanaschi or fanaschi bhaji features boiled jackfruit pieces, fresh grated coconut, spices, and sometimes cashew nuts, offering a chewy texture similar to mutton. Fanas is the Maharashtrian term for jackfruit, and bhaji is an umbrella term for most stir-fries (or even fritters, depending on the region).
Enchorer dalna brings together raw jackfruit (echor) and prawns (chingri) in a spicy, onion-tomato gravy. Jackfruit is a popular ingredient in many Bengali summer dishes. Another popular, and vegetarian, version is the one made with cubed potatoes called enchorer dalna. The chingri leans towards a drier stir-fry, like many other jackfruit recipes on the list, while the dalna has a slightly more watery curry.
You’ve probably heard of the chicken ghee roast; this one’s the vegetarian companion. A spicy Mangalorean delicacy, it is made by coating tender raw jackfruit chunks in a rich, fiery-red spice paste made from Byadagi chillies, tamarind, and aromatic spices cooked in ample ghee. It has a meaty texture and is best paired with neer dosa or steamed rice – both of which balance out the heavy roast.
A traditional Odia dish popular in the summers, panasa tarkari is a spicy curry of raw jackfruit, potatoes, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. The curry uses Panch Phoron, a spice blend prominently used in the cuisines of Bengal, Odisha, and the Bhojpuri region of Bihar.
Halasina gatti goes by many names in Karnataka, depending on the region. It’s a type of sweet idli made from a batter of jackfruit puree, grated coconut, jaggery, and sooji. An authentic preparation involves folding the idli batter in teak leaves or banana leaves before steaming. However, you can also use a normal idli maker to make this sweet breakfast treat.
A rich, festive dessert from Kerala, chakka (jackfruit) pradhaman is made with ripe jackfruit, jaggery, and coconut milk. It’s one of the most indulgent jackfruit recipes, often served during Onam sadhya feasts, with deep caramel notes and a naturally sweet, fruity base.
This list of jackfruit recipes is just the beginning. There’s a lot more hiding in regional Indian kitchens. From Rajasthani launji that’s as much a chutney as a sabzi to spiced juices and eve lassi, jackfruit has been used in many variations. It may look daunting because of its size or construct, but it’s one of the most nutritious, multi-purpose ingredients to cook with, provided you work with the right recipe.
