Sri Lankan pulled jackfruit curry

By Kelsi Boocock 

I tried jackfruit for the first time when I was in Sri Lanka a few years ago and it got me completely hooked. This is a deliciously unique curry and if you haven’t cooked with jackfruit before, this is probably one of the easiest ways to start. The green beans work perfectly to add a little freshness and crunch to the dish.

Images and text from Healthy Kelsi by Kelsi Boocock, Bateman Books, $39.99

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Ingredients 

Serves 4  

60 minutes

Jackfruit curry

• 1 tsp             ground coriander
• 1 tsp             ground cumin
• 1 tsp             homemade curry powder (recipe also in the book Healthy Kelsi)
• 1                   red chilli, halved and deseeded, plus extra to serve
• 1                   shallot, finely chopped
• 20                 curry leaves
• 1                   cinnamon stick
• ½ tsp            ground paprika
• ½ tsp            ground turmeric
• 400 g can     jackfruit
• 400 ml can   coconut milk
• 3 T                coconut yoghurt

Sweet and spicy beans

• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 400 g green beans
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

To serve

• 2 cups brown rice
• Large handful of fresh coriander

Method

To make the jackfruit curry

1. Dry roast the coriander, cumin and curry powder in a frying pan and stir until they turn dark brown.
2. Add chilli, shallot, curry leaves, cinnamon stick, paprika, turmeric and jackfruit to pan, making sure everything is covered in the spices. Add coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add coconut yoghurt and continue simmering over a low heat until jackfruit is tender (should take around 20 minutes).
4. While the jackfruit is softening, cook the brown rice.

To make the beans

1. Heat sesame oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes.
2. Add beans, coconut sugar and lemon juice and cook for 3–4 minutes, until beans are tender but still slightly crunchy. Add almonds and cook for 1 minute more.
3. Serve curry and beans with brown rice and fresh coriander.

Hot tip: Add any vegetables you have on hand. Broccoli or cauliflower work beautifully.

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