Pumpkin + Jackfruit Curry (Vegan)

Nothing symbolises autumn (fall) more for me than pumpkins. Harvested in autumn, they are cheap and plentiful right about now. They’re also good keepers, if stored somewhere cool and with good airflow, meaning they’re one of my favourite vegetables to grow and eat throughout the cooler months.

That said, it’s only May and we’re nearly all through our pumpkin harvest! With our super dry summer it wasn’t the most productive of years. I’ve mostly just roasted them, sometimes eating them alongside dinner, or else adding vege stock and turning it into a simple soup padded out with a few cooked red lentils. But this pumpkin and jackfruit curry also went down a treat. I’ve long been in the habit of making large batches of curry paste and freezing it into single-serve portions. It really does make the whole idea of making curries from scratch that much more justifiable when you know that it’s only a little time on one day to give you multiple quick and easy mid-week dinners later down the track.

Young or green jackfruit can be found in most supermarkets these days, or check out your local health food store. It gives a slightly ‘meaty’ texture to plant-based dishes and has been used in curries throughout South and South East Asia for generations. To add some protein to this curry, some fried tofu or tempeh cubes would be great, or serve with a crispy fried egg for a non-vegan variation. 

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Pumpkin + Jackfruit Curry (vegan)

I know people get nervous making Thai curries from scratch as the ingredient list can look a little daunting, however it is a really straight forward process. You can also make the curry paste well in advance, as it stores in the fridge for up to 4 days, or double up this recipe and freeze in portions for quick and easy mid-week meals. Feel free to add some Asian greens or broccoli to the curry for a little colour, if you like. You’ll find tins of young green jackfruit at most supermarkets, it adds a ‘meaty’ texture to vegetarian dishes. I use buttercup pumpkin here as I love their dense texture, but you can use any flavoursome pumpkin.

Servings 4

Ingredients

Yellow Curry Paste

• 5 shallots unpeeled
• 6 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
• 3 red chillies roughly chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, tender bottom part only sliced thinly
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Curry

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 400 ml tin coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons coconut or palm sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari gluten-free if needed
• 1/2 medium buttercup pumpkin cut into bite-sized pieces (approx. 3-4 cups diced)
• 400 g tin young jackfruit drained and rinsed well
• Juice 1/2 lime
• Cooked jasmine rice, coriander leaves and sliced chilli to serve

Instructions

• To make the curry paste, place unpeeled shallots and garlic into a dry heavy-based frying pan and cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the skins are charred and the insides tender. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same hot pan, toast the coriander seeds 15-20 seconds while stirring, until golden and fragrant. Immediately transfer the toasted seeds to a mortar and pestle and grind to a coarse powder. Transfer ground coriander to food processor, peel shallots and garlic and add along with the grated ginger, chillies, lemongrass, curry powder, ground cumin and salt. Blend to form a smooth paste, adding 2-4 tablespoons water if needed to help it blend easier.
• To make curry, heat coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add curry paste and cook, stirring often 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly reduced. Add coconut milk, 200ml cold water, coconut sugar, soy sauce and diced pumpkin. Cut each piece of green jackfruit in half, if large, then add to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 8-10 minutes or until the pumpkin is just tender. Remove from the heat and stir through lime juice. Serve immediately with jasmine rice, sliced chillies and coriander leaves.

Notes

This recipe was first created for and featured in Nourish Magazine.