With the vast spread of the COVID19 all over the world, people are looking for options to switch to vegetarian food to avoid the use of meat as much as possible. While poultry has been marked safe by the Indian government when the buzz around COVID19 began in India, people are still confused about eating the meat. In this state of complete disarray, the safest option people are now choosing is Jackfruit as its texture and flavours are quite similar.
The scarcity of jackfruit
Also known as kathal, jackfruit has been a go-to alternative for chicken and mutton for the longest time and with the coronavirus scare, it is selling at a whopping amount of 120 Rs. per kg when it used to be just 50 Rs. per kg. And chicken, on the other hand, is being sold at 80 Rs. per kg due to almost no demand. Many people have come forward saying that consuming Kathal is way better than consuming chicken and mutton these days but the only problem is that due to sudden high demand, it is very difficult to find in local markets.
The popular vegan food
Jackfruit is one such fruit that is also a vegetable and can be used to prepare both desserts and sabzi and can also be eaten raw once it ripes. Typically grown in parts of India and parts of South-east Asia, jackfruit gained a lot of popularity around the world when it was considered as one of the best ingredients to cook vegan food. Many people use it to prepare sandwiches where it very efficiently replaces chicken or pork pull. Adding it to salads became a trend that is not going away anytime soon as with time, we can only see its value and demand increasing.
An ideal substitute for meat
Not just an ideal substitute for meat, jackfruit has other qualities that make it a powerhouse of nutrition. With being low in calories, it is naturally sodium and fat-free and provides an ample amount of vitamin A and C. It is also beneficial in lowering blood-pressure with its potassium content. If all of these weren’t enough, this magic fruit/vegetable is also very low on calories and if prepared healthily, you will only benefit from its nutritional goodness. If we compare the protein levels of the fruit with meat, you get 2 gms of protein in one serving of Jackfruit but 6-7 gms of protein from a serving of meat. So, to keep it a balanced meal, it is important to take a side of beans or other vegetables to even out the protein requirement of the body.
Recipes to prepare with jackfruit
So, if you are looking for a way to include more jackfruit in your daily diet or if you are also looking for a suitable substitute for meat and are bored with the regular Kathal ki Sabzi, all you need to do is shake things up a little. With the popularity that this exotic ingredient has gained, you can create just about anything you want. Add some jackfruit in your sushi bowl or spread it on your pizza like shredded chicken or pork and you will have no regrets. Creating sandwiches and exotic wraps with ingredients like pickles, mangoes, and, jackfruits is the best way to add them to your daily diet and savour them.
Original Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/