Jackfruit Chips (Chakka Vathal/Palaapalam Chips)

Jackfruit chips have always been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. And what really amuses me is that my boys love them as well! Well, it's amusing when I think of it, but when it comes to sharing the snack, that's when the trouble begins!

The most important thing to remember is that the thinner and more evenly the chips are sliced, the more amazing they taste. The next important thing to remember is that we cannot make these with ripe jackfruit. If you do, they will absorb a lot more oil and will be too sweet. So the best stage of the fruit is when it's almost ripe and ready to be harvested. The final thing to remember (yes, I should have just listed them out as three 😛) is that jackfruit sap is VERY hard to get out of your clothes, so try not to get any on you while cutting and detaching the flesh.

Ingredients:

Raw jackfruit
Coconut oil or sunflower oil (about 2 litres)
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp salt
Pepper or red chilli powder (optional)

Method:

Before you begin, thoroughly oil your hands, knife, and work surface. 

Cut the jackfruit and detach the flesh.

Slice the flesh into thin, even slices. The thinner the better.

Make a runny paste out of the turmeric and salt (and pepper or red chilli powder, if using) by mixing with some water.

Heat the oil over a high flame.

Once the oil is hot, put two handfuls of the jackfruit slices into the oil and drizzle about 1/2 tsp of the turmeric-salt mixture into the oil.

Deep-fry the jackfruit slices until golden and crispy.

Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain over paper towels.

Repeat with another two handfuls of the slices. If you have a lot of jackfruit, you may have to make some more of the turmeric-salt mixture.

Once the jackfruit chips have cooled down, transfer them into an airtight container and store.

Tip: If you’ve made a number of batches and have a lot of chips, transfer some of them into a ziplock bag and refrigerate them. They will still be fresh when you take them out a month or two later.