Jackfruit & Coconut Curry with Sundays in Malabar

I wanted to call this recipe Malabar Jack for all the swagger and flavor it brings to the table.

When home for summer vacation, Mummy would make a spicy jackfruit curry that I’d look forward to, scooped up with warm rotis or over fragrant basmati rice and pickled onions, this was a true treat.

This curry is my take on Mummy’s recipe, with the addition of coconut milk and red lentils giving it a gentle heft and creaminess that really pays off with the new spice blend, Sundays in Malabar.

Unlike when I was young and cutting and cleaning up a jackfruit was an ordeal for Mummy, you can source young green jackfruit that’s already been cooked and canned in brine.

I hope you’ll enjoy this on a cold winter night like the one we just had this weekend.

Serves 4 | Time 35-45 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Can Green Jackfruit (14 oz. young jackfruit in brine)
3/4 cup red lentils
1/2 cup coconut milk
3-4 cups of hot water
1/2 cup diced onions
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 inch of ginger minced
1 tsp. minced jalapeno (optional)
1 cup diced tomato
3 tsp. Sundays in Malabar
1 tsp. tamarind pulp (optional, supplement with 2 tsp. lemon juice)
1/4 tsp. whole cumin
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
3-4 fresh curry leaves (if available)
1 tbsp. olive oil (or vegetable oil)
salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a large pot, when hot, add the cloves, cinnamon, cumin, and curry leaves. Let them sputter for a few seconds and allow the spices to bloom in the oil.
2. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, and jalapeno, and stir-fry on medium heat for 5-8 minutes until lightly brown.
3. Open, drain and rinse out the jackfruit from the can, cut the pieces into 2 if larger. Also, wash and rinse the lentils in a bowl under running water until the water runs clear.
4. Add the tomatoes and continue stir-frying for another 5-8 minutes, when the tomatoes have started to dry out, add the Sundays in Malabar spice blend, bloom them in the moist heat for a few seconds.
5. Add the lentils, and jackfruit to the pot. Stir and coat with all the spices, cook for 5 minutes until the lentils start to stick to the pan.
6. Add the coconut milk, hot water, and stir. Salt and simmer the curry with the lid on for 30-40 minutes.
7. Stir occasionally, add a splash of hot water if the lentils need more time and liquid to cook.
8. Add the tamarind pulp if using after the curry has cooked for 25 minutes.
9. Finish with lemon juice, adjust for salt and spice with a pinch of Sundays in Malabar if needed.
10. Serve with hot rotis or basmati rice.