Category: snacks

Curry Spiced Jackfruit Seeds Video

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Curry spiced jackfruit seeds. Learn how to prepare them for cooking and how they can be substituted for other foods. 

Did you know you can eat jack fruit seeds?

I like foods that are versatile and have more than one use. Take a jack fruit, for example. It can be eaten as a meat substitute when unripe, as fresh fruit when ripe and as jam  or juice when over ripe. And we don’t even end there. The seeds are edible as well! I have been eating jackfruit seeds for as long as I can remember and it was an exciting part of the experience of slaughtering the jackfruit where we roasted the seeds after eating our weight in the ripened fruit. Such great times!  Now I deliberately collect each and every seed so that I can cook them. And in case you are wondering, cooking these seeds is not as had as you think. Labor intensive, yes, but not hard. In fact I made a short video that you can watch to understand what I am talking about. 

What you will need: 

2-3 C. Jackfruit Seeds

2 Tsp. Curry Powder

Salt

2-3 springs of rosemary/thyme

A splash of

Vinegar

Observations:

  1. Make sure you are using ripe jackfruit seeds.
  2. Make sure to use seeds that have not started to sprout. If a seed shows any slight sprouting or looks green, discard it. 
  3. The size and of the seeds depends on the type and species of the jackfruit flesh you are eating. Some fruits have thin flesh while others have plump flesh. 
  4. Jackfruit seeds have 3 layers of protective coverings. Two will be removed. to reveal a third layer which is edible and you do not need to remove it. 
  5. Drying the seeds helps loosen the second protective covering so that it is easier to remove. 
  6. if you don’t fancy curry since, you can use whatever spice blend you have/ prefer. Salt and pepper works well too. 

 

Method

  1. Slaughter the jackfruit.
  2. Remove and set aside all the seeds. 
  3. Remove the initial gummy-like protective covering form each individual seed. and wash them.
  4. Place seeds in a clean pan, add water and bring them to a boil. Boil seeds for about 30 or until they are soft and tender when pierced with a fork
  5. Drain the seeds and place them on a tray/flat plate to allow cooling and drying. They should dry for about 6 hours. 
  6. After they have dried and the second protective covering has loosened a bit, peel off the covering from each seed. 
  7. After peeling all the seeds, place a frying an on high heat. Add oil, salt, curry powder and the seeds and mix well
  8. Let the seeds cook in the oil for about 20 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir occasionally so that heat is evenly distributed.
  9. You can bake your seeds if you have an oven. 
  10. Add a splash of vinegar/lemon juice to the seeds  and 2-3 springs of rosemary/thyme to add to the flavor. 
  11. Remove the seeds from fire once they turn a vibrant golden brown color and  are crispy on the outside. 
  12. Serve as a snack or a substitute for roast potatoes. 

Have you eaten jackfruit seeds before? 

Use #AkitchenInUg to share your creations.

 

How to Make the Perfect Ugandan Mandazi

~ Sophie ~ 13 Comments

Lemon zest flavored Mandazi recipe that is sure to guarantee you amazing mandazi every single time!

Guys, you know that my love for mandazi is unrivaled. In fact, if I had not named this blog A Kitchen in Uganda, I would have gone with mandaziloveaffair or something around those lines. Yes, that love is real and so here I am, again, with another Mandazi recipe. I have shared Mandazi here  and here before but never a classic mandazi recipe. You know the one with the trusty lemon zest for flavoring. Mandazi are life savers and are not celebrated enough to be honest! I cannot recall the number of times I have had a pack of Mandazi on me for emergency situations while running errands in Kampala. Tell me, can you make Mandazi without looking at a recipe? This recipe is sure to guarantee you amazing mandazi every single time.

What you will need:

4 C. All purpose flour

1/4 C. Flour for flouring the surface and rolling dough

8 Tbsp. Sugar

2 C. Water

2 Tbsp. Butter/Margarine at room temperature

1 Tsp. Baking powder OR 1/4 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tsp. Lemon zest

1/2 Tsp. Ground Cloves (optional)

1 Tsp. Vanilla essence

A pinch of salt

Oil for frying

Observations:

  1. The water should be cold.
  2. Make sure your oil is not very hot because this will cause the mandazi to burn before cooking through.
  3. Cloves and lemon zest give the mandazi a warm and citrusy flavor.
  4. If you are using less oil, make sure to flip the mandazi occasionally so the dough is fully cooked through.

Method

  1. In a clean bowl, sift flour and baking powder.
  2. Add salt, cloves, lemon zest and sugar and mix well.
  3. Rub in the butter till the flour becomes coarse.
  4. Mix the vanilla in water. Add water to the flour and mix till a firm dough forms.
  5. Knead the dough for about 2 minutes until it is no longer sticking to your hands. Set aside to rest for ten minutes.
  6. After 10 minutes, flour your surface and roll out the dough to about 1 inch thickness. Cut out rectangular shapes from the dough. OR divide the dough into 10 -12 equal parts and form round-shaped balls.
  7. Place a pan of frying oil on medium heat. Let the oil heat through. Fry the mandazi in batches of 4-5 for about 7 minutes or until risen and golden brown. Makes 10+.

In the coming weeks I will be sharing a modified version of this mandazi in true AKIU fashion. Stay tuned.

Use #AkitchenInUg to share your creations.

Caramelized Carrot Swirl Bread

~ Sophie ~ 2 Comments

Caramelized carrot filled sweet swirl bread. Caramelized grated carrots make a delicious filling for bread, sandwiches, cookies and even cake! And not to mention the vibrant color it gives off! This swirl bread will be a crowd pleaser! 

November and December had me in a bread making frenzy mostly because I wanted to try out my new oven so that I can get used to having my bread baked instead of steamed. You can read more about my bread steaming adventures here here and here.  I tried almost every filling that I could get my hands on. Be prepared to see more posts like this in the coming weeks. I have been trying to dry carrots so that I can get a carrot version of coconut flakes. I am far from a real breakthrough but while at it I stumbled upon this accident of where caramelized grated carrots make a delicious filling for bread, sandwiches, cookies and even cake! And not to mention the vibrant color it gives off! This swirl bread will be a crowd pleaser! Trust me.

What you will need:

Bread Dough

3 C. Flour

4 Tbsp. Sugar

1/2 Tsp. Salt

2 Tsp. Yeast

1 C. Milk, warm

1/4 C. Oil

Additional cup of flour for kneading

A handful of raisins

Carrot Filling

3 C. Carrots, grated

2 C. Water

1 Lemon

1 C. Sugar

1 Tsp. Allspice

1 Tsp. Lemon zest

1 Tbsp. Margarine

1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract

 

Observations:

  1. Because the margarine I used is salted, you do not need to add a pinch of salt to your carrot filling. If you are using unsalted margarine, add a pinch of salt to your carrot filling.
  2. Carrots when let out in the open tend to change color (oxidize). Cut the lemon in half and use one half to sprinkle them as you grate.
  3.  This recipe is vegan friendly since you can substitute dairy milk for either coconut milk or any plant-based milk.
  4. It is advisable to make the carrot filling the day before.
  5. Remember you will not need to use all the two cups of milk so pour it in the flour gradually to avoid the dough from becoming too soggy.

Method

Bread dough

  1. Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt, yeast raisins) in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, add the milk and oil and mix well.
  2. Slowly pour the milk oil mixture in the bowl of dry ingredients while mixing gradually.
  3. Mix till a dough is formed. Cover the dough with a damp towel and set aside to rise for 1 hour

Carrot Filling

  1. While the dough is rising, place a clean pan on high fire. Add the 2 cups of water and sugar into the pan. Stir well until all the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Add the grated carrot, juice of the other lemon half, lemon zest, allspice, vanilla and margarine and stir well
  3. Let the carrot mixture come to a boil. After it boils for about 5 minutes, reduce the fire to low. Cover the pan and let the carrot simmer over low heat until all the water has reduced.
  4. When the carrot is translucent and the water has reduced down to a syrup (this may take up to an hour), remove from fire and set aside to cool.

Swirl Bread

  1. When the dough has risen, punch it down and gently knead it till it is smooth and non sticky.
  2. Sprinkle enough flour on a flat surface and spread the dough out. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough till it is about half an inch in thickness.
  3. Get the cooled caramelized carrot filling and add spread it on the dough evenly.
  4. Roll the dough into a large log making sure the filling does not spill out.
  5. Slightly flatten the log with your hands and then cut it in half lengthwise.
  6. Grease your baking sheet/paper. Gently roll one half of the dough into a swirl going outwards. Add the other half of the dough and continue rolling until you have a large swirl bread. Let the bread rise for another 15 minutes.
  7. While the bread is rising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
  8. Bake your bread (after 15 minutes of rising) for 45 minutes
  9. Remove the bread from the oven and serve hot with a cup of tea/ milk/ coffee

Share your creations using the #AkitchenInUg on social media!