Name: Jackfruit Curry
Cook time: 48 minutes
Total time: 48 minutes
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds; 1 tsp. cumin seeds; ¾ inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped; 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 small green chile; ¼ tsp. black peppercorns; 1 Tbsp. sunflower oil; 1 bay leaf; 2 dried red chiles; 1 tsp. cumin seeds; 2 onions, finely chopped; 2 tomatoes, finely chopped; ½ tsp. salt; ½ tsp. ground turmeric; 1 400g (14oz) can of green jackfruit, rinsed and drained; 1 tsp. garam masala; ½ tsp. sugar

By Nassima Rothacker

I love jackfruit, and jackfruit curry is especially delicious. I remember my mum sitting down with a big bowl, oiling her hands thoroughly, then carefully and painstakingly cutting fresh whole jackfruit into small pieces for a curry. Here in England I have not been able to find the fresh, green, fleshy jackfruit Indians are used to, so for this recipe I’ve used tinned jackfruit instead. But if you ever find fresh jackfruit, definitely use it! This vegetarian curry is great with rice or chapati.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Chetna's Healthy Indian: Vegetarian' by Chetna Makan. Buy the full book on Amazon.

Recipe information

Total Time
48 minutes
Yield
Serves 2

Ingredients

For the spice paste

1 Tbsp. coriander seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

¾ inch fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 small green chile

¼ tsp. black peppercorns

For the curry

1 Tbsp. sunflower oil

1 bay leaf

2 dried red chiles

1 tsp. cumin seeds

2 onions, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground turmeric

1 400g (14oz) can of green jackfruit, rinsed and drained

1 tsp. garam masala

½ tsp. sugar

Preparation

Step 1
Combine all the ingredients for the spice paste in a small blender and blitz until smooth. You could also use a pestle and mortar, as I sometimes do. Set the spice paste aside while you start the curry.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a pan and add the bay leaf, dried red chiles and cumin seeds. When they start to sizzle, add the onions and cook on a low-to-medium heat for 12–15 minutes, until deep golden brown.
Step 3
Add your spice paste, cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are nice and soft.
Step 4
Add the salt, turmeric and jackfruit, mixing well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the jackfruit has taken on all the flavors of the sauce. Stir in the garam masala and sugar and it’s ready to serve.
Do ahead: Keep jackfruit curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 4–5 days and reheat before serving.

Chetna’s Healthy Indian Vegetarian-COVER.jpg

Images and text from Chetna’s Healthy Indian: Vegetarian by Chetna Makan; photography by Nassima Rothacker. Buy the full book from Octopus Books or Amazon.