Jackfruit Thai Green Curry
We’re back with another meat-free meal, cooking with something other than tofu! The title may have given it away but today we are cooking with jackfruit! Unripe jackfruit is a great meat alternative in a curry as it has a great texture with a neutral taste, which means it will take in all the amazing flavours in the sauce. On top of that, jackfruit is low in calorie, high in fibre with no fat! It is definitely an ingredient to be introduced into your weekly cooking schedule.
Jackfruits are huge fruits grown in tropical and subtropical parts of the world and can go up to 40kgs. So if you’re not cooking for a village, you won’t need to buy the entire fruit! Instead, you can visit an Asian shop that may sell fresh jackfruit in smaller portions or canned jackfruit. Jackfruit that comes in a can will be sold in either brine or syrup, usually, unripe jackfruit is in brine and ripe is in syrup, so make sure you check the label. Ripe jackfruit is used for dessert or eaten on its own and unripe jackfruit, sometimes called green or young jackfruit, is used in savoury dishes.
How to cook Jackfruit Thai Green Curry
Start by heating oil in a wok and frying the curry paste for a couple of minutes to loosen the paste. From an unshaken can of full-fat coconut milk, scoop out the thick creamy layer of the coconut milk, this should be at least a third of the can. If you find that your coconut milk can do not have a thick and creamy layer, it is worth changing brands as good quality coconut milk will have a natural hard layer on top when it is stored at room temperature. My favourite brand is Aroy-D, you can purchase online or in most Asian shops.
After you have scooped in the coconut milk, season the curry sauce with palm sugar and light soya sauce. Bring the sauce to a light boil for 5 minutes to allow the oils to rise to the surface. This is the most important step as this is when you will get the most colour for your step, if you rush over this step you could end up with a pale looking curry. After 5 minutes, add jackfruit with 200ml of water, again bring back to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, fill a separate pan with water and heat it up to a boil. Drop in the khanom jeen noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. It really doesn’t take long to cook, so I would keep an eye on it whilst it’s on the stove. Once soft, drain the water and rinse under running cold water. Next, take a small bundle of noodles and wrap the noodles around two fingers to form a circular shape, place in either a sieve or on kitchen tissue to dry. Repeat this process until all the noodles are in bundles.
Next, add the green beans to the curry and simmer until the beans are tender. Turn off the heat and gently stir in a handful of sweet Thai basil leaves and extra chillies if you want a little more spice! To serve, place a few bundles of noodles into a bowl and pour the jackfruit curry on top. Squeeze fresh lime juice around the bowl for an extra zesty flavour and you could also serve with bean sprouts and cucumber slices.
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Jackfruit Thai Green Curry
Ingredients
- 500 g Jackfruit Drained weight
- 400 g Khanom Jeen Noodles Rice Noodles
- 200 g Green Beans
- 400 ml Coconut Milk
- 200 ml Water
- 2 tbsp Mae Jum Thai Green Curry Paste
- 2 tbsp Palm Sugar
- 3 tbsp Light Soya Sauce or vegan fish sauce
- Sweet Thai Basil
- Red Chilli Mild or Spicy
- 1-2 Lime
Instructions
Preparation
- Trim the ends of the green beans and cut them into thirds
- Drain the water from the canned jackfruit, and cut it into smaller pieces
Cooking Method
- On Med/high heat, fry Thai green curry paste in oil for 1-2 minutes until the paste is loose
- Add the thick layer of coconut milk with light soya sauce and palm sugar, mix well. Bring to a light boil and simmer for 5 minutes to let the oils rise to the surface
- Add the remaining coconut milk to the wok with water and jackfruit. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes
- In the meantime, boil water in a separate saucepan and drop the khanom jeen noodles. Cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and then rinse under cold water. Pick up a small bundle of noodles and wrap the noodles around two fingers to form a circular shape and place in a sieve or on kitchen tissue to dry. Repeat until all noodles are in bundles.
- Add green beans to the curry and simmer until beans are cooked.
- Turn off heat and gently stir in a handful of Sweet Thai basil and extra chillies (if desired). To serve, place a few bundles of noodles in a bowl and pour curry on top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Enjoy!
