Young Jack Fruit with curry (Gulai Nangka)

Gulai nangka, is one of traditional Padang (West Sumatera) dishes. Whole cut-up chunks of young jack fruit is cooked in coconut milk and spices, including tumeric, galangal, ginger, chili (of course).

The seeds, pulp and segments can all be eaten, and the texture is very much like tender chicken, and similar to banana palm hearts. Sometimes called ‘vegetable meat‘, in the Asian supermarkets. Gulai nangka can be serve with plain white rice.

Ingredients

250 g young jackfruit (nangka muda), chopped into 2 cm cubes
250 ml thick coconut milk
250 water
2 turmeric leafs – optional
2 dried bay leaves (daun salam)
1 stalk Lemon grass (Sereh/Serai), chopped or 2 teaspoons of Lemon grass powder
Spice Paste
2 cloves of garlic
3 shallots
5 red chillies, seeded
2 bird’s eyes chillies, optional
2 cm fresh turmeric or 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 Candlenuts (Kemiri)
1 cm ginger
1 cm galangal or 1/2 teaspoon of Galangal powder

Method:
Boil the meat or bones with 250 ml water to make the broth.
Grind or blend the spices. Then sauté until it's fragrant and adds bay leaves, lemon grass and turmeric leaf (if you have it). Then bring it to the broth and add the coconut milk.
When it's boiling, put inside all the vegetables. Continue cooking until the vegetables well-cooked.