Ponsa (Ripe Jackfruit) Appo.

"Ponsa Appo / Ripe Jackfruit Paniyaram" .... Come season of ripe jackfruit and the endless list of delicacies that can be prepared using it start's poping out in my mind and I simply have to prepare the entire list at least once in a year and enjoy it to my heart's fill ... Ripe jackfruit has a special aroma of its own that cannot be hidden when brought at home even if kept hidden inside the fridge ... Ponsa Appo is just one dish among the many treats that are prepared with this sweet fruit ... Many more to follow ... Yummy Yumz ...

Jackfruit is one of the tropical fruits of a huge tree that grows as high as 30 meters, larger than mango, breadfruit etc. In season, each tree bears as many as 250 large fruits and is supposed to be one of the largest tree-borne fruits in the world. Jackfruit varies widely in size, weighing anywhere from 3 to 30 kg, and has a unique shape, size oblong or round shape with fruity flavour of bulbs within, that can be appreciated for its strong smell from a long distance. While unripe fruits are green, they turn light brown and spread a strong sweet, fruity smell once ripe and the aroma fills in and around the house. The fruit is deliciously sweet in taste.

Many a delicacies are prepared with this fruit both when raw and ripe. Raw jackfruit is used in curries, pickles etc. in most of the konkani (GSB) houses, while the ripe ones are used in preparing sweet dishes. I have already posted a dish Ripe Jackfruit khotto a sweet sort of Idly steamed in Jackfruit leaves basket. On similar lines is Jackfruit Appo. 

Appos in general are prepared both sweet, spicy or without any spices like the one's with urad and rice. There are many varieties. These are really delicious and are a hit with youngsters. To prepare these appos you need the special “Appo mould pan / Aebleskiver pan” a pan which has round dents in them which is available both in cast iron or teflon coated. Appos are small round savouries cooked in these dents.

Ingredients:

Ripe Jackfruit Pieces : 2 cups of finely chopped pieces.

Jaggery : 1 cup cut into small pieces.

Coconut : ½ cup freshly grated

Cooking Soda / Baking Powder : A small pinch.

Cardamom (Optional) A small pinch.

Wheat Rava / Bombay Rava : 2 cups

Wheat Flour : 1 tablespoon.

Clean, remove the seeds from the Jackfruit pieces and chop them to fine pieces. You should have about 2 cups of chopped pieces in all. Keep it aside. Heat 1/4 cup of water and add 1 cups of jaggery cut into pieces and melt it. Remove and let cool, strain and keep aside.

To be ground : Grind to a fine paste 1 cup of jackfruit pieces with 1/2 cup of freshly grated coconut to a fine paste with the prepared jaggery water. Consume all the jaggery water little by little while grinding. Remove and put it in a bowl.

Add the remaining 1 cup of jackfruit pieces to the ground paste and mix well with a pinch of baking powder, a pinch of cooking soda and salt to taste. You can add a pinch of cardamom powder too (Optional). I have not added any as I like the jackfruit flavour intact.

Add about 2 cups of rava, 1 tblsp of wheat flour to the mixture and mix well. Leave aside for 15-20 minutes, for the rava to get soaked in. Now mix the batter well. Add water if necessary to bring to thick pouring consistency. Be careful while adding water, the batter should not be runny. 

Heat a Appe pan, when hot lower the heat to medium, add a little bit of oil in each of the dents and pour a tblsp of the batter into each mould / dent. Cover and cook on low-medium heat till the bottom side of the appo gets cooked.

Remove the cover, check to see if the top side of the appo is cooked, if done, gently flip over and cook the other side for another few minutes. Do not cover after flipping the appo. Remove and serve hot with ghee or honey.