Jackfruit Curry

Jackfruit Curry
Bobbi Lin for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(424)
Notes
Read community notes

Reminiscent of chicken tikka masala, this recipe is inspired by the in-ground or lovo cooking of Fiji. There, meats are heavily seasoned, then set atop tubers, jackfruit or breadfruit, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked. This simple vegan dish is rich and satisfying, drawing on the Indo-Fijian flavors of the island, with aromatic spices and a bit of a kick. Heavy with coriander, garlic and ginger, this spice blend has a slightly milder, more delicate flavor than most. But if you have a favorite blend, you can substitute the spices in this recipe with 2 tablespoons of no-salt curry powder, and continue with the recipe as written. Serve alongside white rice and sautéed veggies, naan or your favorite curries. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1(20-ounce) can green jackfruit in brine, drained
  • 1tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½teaspoon ground cayenne
  • ½teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1(13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • Kosher salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

325 calories; 20 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 561 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 450 degrees, adjusting the rack to the top third of the oven.

  2. Step 2

    Using your fingers, shred drained jackfruit into medium pieces, breaking apart larger stem sections, and place in a large bowl.

  3. Step 3

    Add soy sauce, coriander, paprika, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, cumin and the coconut milk. Stir carefully with a rubber spatula to incorporate, then dip in the edge of a small spoon to taste the mixture; season to taste with salt as desired.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer jackfruit mixture to a shallow, broiler-safe, 2-quart baking dish. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Increase heat to a high broil and roast until the top chars a bit, 7 to 10 minutes more. Let rest for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Ratings

4 out of 5
424 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

After reading the comments, I made a few revisions: - Used fresh garlic and ginger instead of powdered - Did not broil, just kept it in the oven for 5 more minutes - Added a spoonful of Maesri red curry paste and it made it a lot more flavorful and perfectly spicy.

We made this tonight and it would have been terrific if it had less salt. We put in half as much as what the recipe calls for and still found it to be very salty (and that was with low-salt tamari). Next time, we plan to leave the salt out altogether until we have mixed in all of the ingredients, then we'll give it a taste. That said, we are definitely going to make this recipe again. So easy to whip together and really delicious (salt notwithstanding).

We have it at whole foods, trader Joe's, and our local neighborhood grocery stores. It has a great texture so if you can't find it, see if they can order it for you

This was super easy and pretty tasty! I would add a crunchy vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower if you're planning on eating this over rice. I ordered cans of jackfruit through Amazon, but I've found it at Whole Foods and our local Indian/Asian grocery (get the canned, not the large whole fruit).

This was so easy and delicious. I used fresh garlic and ginger as well as a spoon full of curry paste.

This is great for a quick weeknight dinner Serve with leftover rice fried with some yogurt and whatever herbs you got in the fridge (cilantro is great). Or fresh rice. Or on some bread. Do you. And a side of greens sautéed in some garlic/ginger/couple tablespoons of ur coconut milk can Or some crunchy greens quick dressed in vinegar plus lime It’s not like a SHOW STOPPER But it’s simple, yummy, quick, healthy-ish and lends itself to many sides to help clean your fridge and not waste

Curry sauce can easily accommodate 2 cans of jackfruit. Double the "meat" and have some leftovers

This was pretty tasty. I subbed soy milk for the coconut milk and added about a tbsp of coconut oil (cold pressed) to get the coconut flavor. Worked wonders. Lime added at end is nice too.

This is such a great weeknight dish. It’s easy to prepare and throw in the oven quickly. I think fresh garlic is better and I added a little drizzle of honey for sweetness but this is the perfect spice level for me. I am obsessed with jackfruit and love how filling this meal is served with a brown basmati rice. I did notice my coconut milk hardened so I just heated it up a little and it was fine to use in the mixture. Love it!

I've been eager to try jack fruit as I explore more vegan recipes, but I found this recipe quite disappointing. I used homemade curry powder, so perhaps if I had used the seasonings called for, it would have been better, but I do think it needed more ingredients to make it interesting--onions, greens, broccoli, perhaps even some cashews.

never cooked with jack fruit before! This recipe was a great way to test out a new ingredient, and it is rather tasty. I used smoky paprika - didn't have sweet, and doubled up the spices :) Very good dish!

Since the jackfruit is canned in brine, I rinsed it then patted it dry to reduce the saltiness. The only substitution was using light coconut milk. It only needed the broiler for 5 minutes and the jackfruit texture was fine. It was an easy and tasty weeknight dinner served over rice.

I really enjoyed this! I added roughly diced red onion and bell pepper, and accidentally used reduced fat coconut milk. Served over white rice, and had leftovers on toast. Flavorful without being too spicy, which is what I like.

We loved this recipe with roasted red peppers and onions over rice and raw spinach. Any crunchy vegetable would work. I would cut the cayenne pepper by half next time.

Added sliced carrots because there was a whole lot of coconut milk relative to the amount of jackfruit. Totally different texture than I'm used to, pretty creamy, but good to try something different.

Really good. The texture was similar to pork carnitas. I made it as specified except used black pepper in place of cayenne and used low sodium soy sauce. I used 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt. It only took about 2 minutes under the broiler until it started getting charred. I used a baking sheet coated with cooking spray which made for an easy clean up. It’s not a lot of food so next time I will make a double batch and split into 6 portions. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli.

I haven’t cooked with jackfruit before, and it really does have a texture reminiscent of chicken. After reading the other comments, I followed the recipe except that I used 4 minced garlic cloves in place of the garlic powder and added a spoonful of yellow curry paste (I was out of red). I found it did need a bit of salt (I used pink Himalayan salt). Served it on brown rice. A quick, easy, economical vegan meal. BTW, I purchased my can of green jackfruit in brine at Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s sells jackfruit in brine which means it’s already salty, so season carefully. Could easily double the recipe.

This was so easy and delicious. I used fresh garlic and ginger as well as a spoon full of curry paste.

After reading the comments, I made a few revisions: - Used fresh garlic and ginger instead of powdered - Did not broil, just kept it in the oven for 5 more minutes - Added a spoonful of Maesri red curry paste and it made it a lot more flavorful and perfectly spicy.

I'm always looking for new vegetarian recipes. I choose vegetarian dishes for my family's health as well as the health of the planet. This one, though? I'm not impressed. I tried it despite the canned jackfruit and more curry than fruit. Maybe if it was marinated for a day before cooking it one could cover the canned/brined flavor.

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