This quick, Indian-inspired main dish is a wonderful weeknight option. Serve it with basmati rice and a salad, and voila – dinner is all set!
One note about lime leaves: you’ve probably seen these called Kaffir lime leaves in other recipes, on menus at Thai restaurants, etc. but it turns out Kaffir is a derogatory racial slur (said to have originated in South Africa and spread to parts of Asia from there) so the term Makrut is now more globally accepted. Makrut is the Thai name given to these flavorful leaves. You can generally find them in Thai or other Asian markets, or sometimes at local farmers market (in L.A., Coleman Family Farms carries them at certain times of year).
If you cannot locate these leaves, you can omit them, although I highly recommend seeking them out as their flavor really takes this dish to the next level. Since I use Makrut lime leaves infrequently, I store the extras in my freezer and use them as needed - they last quite a long time this way without losing any flavor or degrading in quality.
Jackfruit can be found at Indian and Asian markets, many health food stores, or even at Trader Joes these days. My favorite brand is Native Forest’s organic young jackfruit. Make sure you are getting young or unripe jackfruit, which has a neutral/savory flavor as opposed to ripe jackfruit, which is orange in color and quite sweet.
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves 2–3
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons coconut oil
½ small onion, chopped into thin quarter-moons
3 scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
4 Makrut lime leaves (see note above)
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 can young jackfruit, drained
1 cup full-fat coconut milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Preparation:
In a medium cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet with a lid, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and scallion whites and sauté until soft and turning translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Stir in the lime leaves, cardamom and garam masala and cook for 30 seconds or until spices are fragrant.
Add in the jackfruit, coconut milk and salt and stir well. When the mixture begins to simmer, cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium low. Cook the jackfruit for about 20 minutes or until it is very soft. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Place jackfruit in a serving bowl and garnish with the chopped scallion greens. Serve immediately, accompanied by basmati rice.