Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

Name: Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon coconut oil ((or other cooking oil)); 1 onion, finely sliced; 1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced; 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 2-3 fresh chillies, finely sliced ((I used bird's eye chillies – see notes)); 2x 14 oz (400 g) tins young jackfruit, drained and each piece roughly chopped a couple of times; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 2 teaspoons garam masala; 1 teaspoon turmeric; 4 cardamom pods ((optional)); 1x 14 oz (400 g) tin plum tomatoes ((or 6 fresh medium tomatoes, roughly chopped)); 1x 14 oz (400 ml) tin coconut milk ((full-fat is best)); Grated zest of 1 lime ((save the juice to serve)); Salt and pepper, to taste; Small bunch fresh coriander, chopped ((optional))

Mar 2, 2021 by The Pesky Vegan | This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission on any purchases made through those links. | 60 Comments

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This creamy jackfruit curry is a delightful dish that delivers texture and flavour in abundance. Combining meaty jackfruit pieces with aromatic spices, tomatoes, coconut milk, and fragrant lime, it's a top-drawer vegan recipe that's also gluten-free.

Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

Relying heavily on store cupboard ingredients and dried spices, you can use either tinned or fresh tomatoes and add any extra veg you like. I include a few bird's eye chillies for heat, but you can decrease the amount or omit these altogether if you don't want a kick.

If you've been on the lookout for a new and exciting vegan jackfruit recipe to try, I daresay the search is over. If you want to continue the search, however, I can highly recommend this smoky jackfruit chilli or these easy jackfruit tacos.

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What is jackfruit?

Jackfruit is a large fruit found in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. When young, it has a neutral taste and meaty consistency that has seen it become popular in plant-based cooking.

Unless you live in a tropical region, you're most likely to come across jackfruit in some sort of tinned form.

Does jackfruit taste like meat?

I'm not going to pretend that jackfruit actually tastes like meat, but it does have a texture that is surprisingly similar to something like slow-cooked chicken or pulled pork. With its relatively neutral taste, young jackfruit is a great vessel for flavours like the ones in this curry.

For another 'meaty' jackfruit recipe, check out this vegan 'beef' stew.

How to make creamy jackfruit curry

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and soften for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.

Next, add the chopped garlic, ginger, and chilli. Stir well and cook for another couple of minutes.

After a couple of minutes, add the jackfruit pieces, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and turmeric. Lightly crush the cardamom pods with the flat of your knife and add these to the pan.

Onions, Peppers, Jackfruit and Spices Cooking

Stir well for a minute or so, using a wooden spoon to break apart some of the jackfruit for a mix of tender chunks and stringy pieces.

Next, add the tomatoes and break these apart with a spoon. If using tinned tomatoes, fill up a third of the empty can with water and swirl this around before adding to the pan. If using fresh tomatoes, simply add around 150 ml (approx. ½ cup) of water.

Add salt and pepper and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, adding extra water if necessary. Next, add the coconut milk and lime zest.

Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the curry is thick and creamy, being careful not to let the coconut milk boil.

Once thick and creamy, remove the cardamom pods and stir in most of the chopped coriander. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Creamy Jackfruit Curry Pan with Coriander

Serving suggestions

Boiled basmati/white rice
Pilau rice
Brown rice
Quinoa
Vegan raita
Chopped fresh coriander
Fresh lime juice
Fresh chilli
Sliced spring onions

Recipe FAQ

Where can I buy jackfruit?

Here in the UK, I've found tinned jackfruit in several of the larger supermarket stores. It's also often available in international supermarkets, smaller specialist shops, and of course online.

Which type should I get?

When buying tinned jackfruit, make sure you get a variety labelled as 'young' or 'green'. You'll also want it in water (or brine) as opposed to syrup.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

This recipe is 100% gluten-free as it is. To keep it that way, be sure to serve it with GF sides such as rice or quinoa.

Variations and tips

Jackfruit texture: I cut the tougher core parts into small pieces, then slice up the rest more liberally. If you want more of a shredded texture, you can do this using two forks to pull the pieces apart at the end of cooking.
Coconut milk: Full-fat coconut milk is best for creaminess and flavour, but you could swap this out for a 'light' variety if you prefer (or use half of the regular version and save the rest for a sweet potato dal).
Cardamom: This is optional, however it adds a really nice fragrance to the curry.
Chilli: I used bird's eye chillies (a.k.a. finger chillies), but the level of heat will depend on the type of chilli you use. If you're unsure, start with a small amount and add more during cooking to suit your taste.
Add protein: If you want extra plant-based protein, you could add a drained can of chickpeas and/or greens such as spinach.

How to store jackfruit curry

Refrigerate: You can store the curry in the fridge for up to four days, before reheating in the microwave or in a pan with a splash of water.

Freeze: Store this curry in the freezer in sealed containers or resealable bags for several months. The coconut milk may sometimes separate after being frozen, but it shouldn't be a problem if you thoroughly defrost and reheat.

Hey you – let me know what you think

If you made this recipe and enjoyed it – or did anything differently – I'd love to hear from you down below in the comments 👇

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More vegan recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:

You can also check out my full list of vegan mains.

Full recipe

Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

The Pesky Vegan

This creamy jackfruit curry combines aromatic spices, tomatoes, coconut milk, and fragrant lime for a delicious vegan and gluten-free dish.

5 from 24 votes

Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Main Course

Cuisine Gluten-free, Vegan

Servings

Calories 410 kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil (or other cooking oil)
1 onion, finely sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2-3 fresh chillies, finely sliced (I used bird's eye chillies – see notes)
2x 14 oz (400 g) tins young jackfruit, drained and each piece roughly chopped a couple of times
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric
4 cardamom pods (optional)
1x 14 oz (400 g) tin plum tomatoes (or 6 fresh medium tomatoes, roughly chopped)
1x 14 oz (400 ml) tin coconut milk (full-fat is best)
Grated zest of 1 lime (save the juice to serve)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Small bunch fresh coriander, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add the onion and red pepper and soften for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Next, add the chopped garlic, ginger, and chilli. Stir well and cook for another couple of minutes.
After a couple of minutes, add the jackfruit pieces, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and turmeric. Lightly crush the cardamom pods with the flat of your knife and add these to the pan. Stir well for a minute or so, using a wooden spoon to break apart some of the jackfruit for a mix of tender chunks and stringy pieces.
Next, add the tomatoes and break these apart with a spoon. If using tinned tomatoes, fill up a third of the empty can with water and swirl this around before adding to the pan. If using fresh tomatoes, simply add around 150 ml (approx. ½ cup) of water. Add salt and pepper and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, adding extra water if necessary.
After 10 minutes, add the coconut milk and lime zest. Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the curry is thick and creamy, being careful not to let the coconut milk boil.
Once thick and creamy, remove the cardamom pods and stir in most of the chopped coriander. Adjust the seasoning and serve with rice, fresh coriander, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Rate this recipe 👇

Notes

Jackfruit: When buying tinned jackfruit, make sure you get a variety labelled as 'young' or 'green'. You'll also want it in water (or brine) as opposed to syrup.

Jackfruit texture: I cut the tougher core parts into small pieces, then slice up the rest more liberally. If you want more of a shredded texture, you can do this using two forks to pull the pieces apart at the end of cooking.

Coconut milk: Full-fat coconut milk is best for creaminess and flavour, but you could swap this out for a 'light' variety if you prefer.

Cardamom: This is optional, however it adds a really nice fragrance to the curry.

Chilli: I used bird's eye chillies (a.k.a. finger chillies), but the level of heat will depend on the type of chilli you use. If you're unsure, start with a small amount and add more during cooking to suit your taste.

Add protein: If you want extra plant-based protein, you could add a drained can of chickpeas and/or greens such as spinach.

Gluten-free: This recipe is 100% gluten-free as it is. To keep it that way, be sure to serve it with GF sides such as rice or quinoa.

Storage: You can store this curry in the fridge for up to four days or freezer for several months.

If you liked this recipe, you might also enjoy:

* The nutrition info below is for one serving, based on a total of four servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 5gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 21gSodium: 467mgPotassium: 807mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1287IUVitamin C: 90mgCalcium: 147mgIron: 7mg

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

Amount Per Serving

Calories 410 Calories from Fat 225

% Daily Value*

Fat 25g38%

Saturated Fat 21g131%

Sodium 467mg20%

Potassium 807mg23%

Carbohydrates 47g16%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 1287IU26%

Vitamin C 90mg109%

Calcium 147mg15%

Iron 7mg39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword coconut curry, jackfruit recipe, vegan curry

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Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

What is jackfruit?

Does jackfruit taste like meat?

How to make creamy jackfruit curry

Serving suggestions

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips

How to store jackfruit curry

Hey you – let me know what you think

Keep in touch

More vegan recipe ideas

Full recipe

Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Further reading

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

What is jackfruit?

Does jackfruit taste like meat?

How to make creamy jackfruit curry

Serving suggestions

Recipe FAQ

Variations and tips

How to store jackfruit curry

Hey you – let me know what you think

Keep in touch

More vegan recipe ideas

Full recipe

Creamy Jackfruit Curry with Tomato, Coconut & Lime

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Social follow

Further reading

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply