The Konkan region and southern India are blessed with an abundance of jackfruits! The jackfruit has a distinct aroma and a sweet taste. It comes in 2 varieties, one is hard called kappa and the other is the soft variety called rassal. I prefer the rassal variety, simply coz when it’s ripe it just melts in the mouth. A lot of people irk at the very mention of the word jackfruit, it is not everyone’s cup of tea and its taste is something that has to be acquired. I have been enjoying this exotic fruit every summer vacations spent in Goa, and so I love it ever since I was a child!
It’s not very easy to spot them here in the US, except for the Indian and Asian stores I guess. I spotted one at the Asian store when my in-laws had visited us last year and of course, I was so excited to see the jackfruit even though it was not the soft variety. My Mum in law made this jackfruit sandon. Surprisingly, I don’t know how but I hadn’t tasted it until she made it, now being an avid jackfruit lover and all things sweetened with cardamom and jaggery, I loved it. So the other day when I saw jackfruit at the store again, I decided on making this jackfruit sandon and sharing it on the blog. A sandon is nothing but a steamed rice cake, and here it’s flavored with jackfruit pulp, so it’s a jackfruit sandon. Sandon or sannas as basically a Goan version of South Indian idli’s.
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Goan sannas (Plain and sweet version)
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE JACKFRUIT SANDON | STEAMED GOAN JACKFRUIT CAKE
1.Pick , wash and soak the rice. Leave it overnight, next morning grind it to a smooth yet thick batter using about 1 & 1/4 cups water approx. Add water gradually and grind.
2.Clean the jackfruit arils well, remove the seed. Make a purée of jackfruit using less than 1/4 cup of water. You may not need to add any water for the soft variety.
3.In a mixing bowl, add ground rice, jackfruit purée, cardamom powder, salt, and jaggery. Mix well to incorporate everything, you can taste little of the batter and adjust sweetness adding more jaggery if required. You can also add some finely chopped jackfruit pieces for additional texture.
4.Transfer about 2 tablespoons of batter to a greased idli plate, or transfer to the entire batter to a greased 9-inch cake tin.
5.Heat little water in the idli steamer, bring to a boil, now transfer the idli rack to the steamer, cover with lid and steam for about 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6.Once it’s slightly warm, unmould the sandon with the help of a blunt knife, Enjoy these warm for breakfast.
NOTES 1.Although this is soft, this is supposed to be dense and not as fluffy as regular idli, as it is not fermented. However, if you want a soft and spongy texture, you may add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon baking soda or eno into the batter, mix well and steam immediately. Do not let the batter sit once baking soda is added. Alternatively, you can also ferment the batter with yeast until it doubles and then proceed with the steaming. 2.For an additional flavor, use coconut milk instead of water for grinding the batter.
HOW TO MAKE JACKFRUIT SANDON | STEAMED GOAN JACKFRUIT CAKE?
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