Keen to shake up your regular heart-warming curry this winter?
This recipe for Jackfruit Curry from Kiwi-born Melbournian Jessy Wallace piqued our interest, not only because we were curious about using fruit as a meat substitute, but because who doesn’t love a little Asian grocery store adventure to find said exotic fruit?
Jackfruit is the national fruit of Bangladesh and first came to Jessy’s attention when a friend tempted her with pulled smoky barbecue jackfruit. As a vegan, Jessy is passionate about creating recipes that show you don’t have to miss out when adopting a plant-based diet, and with a similar texture to pulled pork or chicken, jackfruit was an obvious choice for a little experimentation. You can find canned jackfruit at most Asian grocery stores – just make sure you buy the green jackfruit in brine, not the syrup.
Jackfruit Curry
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw cashews, soaked
3 tbsp coconut cream
¼ cup water
1 large onion
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp turmeric
1 x 400g tin crushed/diced plain tomatoes
1 x 565g tin green jackfruit in brine
Basmati rice
METHOD
1. To make your cashew cream first, soak your cashews in boiled water for at least 20 minutes, or a few hours in cold water if you prepare ahead of time. Drain from the water and blend with 3 tbsp coconut cream and ¼ cup water until well smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. Drain the tin of jackfruit and just use your fingers to shred apart the pieces, removing any seeds. Set aside. At this point you should put on your rice, however much you think you need according to packet instructions.
3. Heat a saucepan with a little bit of water or oil at medium heat. Slice your onions and add them to the saucepan. Once they are starting to soften, add in all your spices and stir well, add a little bit more water if it’s sticking.
4. Add 3 tablespoons of the cashew cream to the onion mixture and stir well until combined, add all the shredded jackfruit and mix. Lastly add the tinned tomatoes and about half a cup of water to mix in. Leave curry to simmer for about 20 minutes or until your rice is cooked.
5. Serve on top of rice, with a spoonful of the leftover cashew cream on top
Jessy has just released her first recipe e-book, Winter Warmers, which includes 25 gluten free, plant-based recipes perfect for winter – including this jackfruit curry. Click here to download Winter Warmers and follow @jessy.wallace for plenty more healthy meal ideas.
