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Gulai nangka
Padang-style young jackfruit in a soupy, turmeric-yellow coconut curry with lemongrass and lime leaf
In a nasi Padang restaurant, where dozens of dishes are stacked in the window and brought to the table on small plates, gulai nangka is the bright yellow one that gets spooned over rice to moisten everything else. Young jackfruit and long beans simmer in a thin, golden coconut sauce with turmeric, chilli and lemongrass until the jackfruit is tender and full of sauce. It's lighter and saucier than rendang and cooks in under an hour, so Padang households make it on ordinary weekdays. Chef's tip: stir the pot almost constantly for the first few minutes after the coconut milk goes in — Padang cooks say it keeps the gulai smooth and stops it splitting.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the spice paste
For the curry
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ¼ lb young green jackfruit in brine and squeeze out the brine. Blend 6 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, 4 large red chillies, 3 candlenuts, 1 ⅝ in turmeric root, ¾ in ginger and 1 tsp ground coriander with 2 tbsp water to a smooth, deep yellow paste.
8 minStep 2: Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a pot over a medium heat and fry the paste with 1 ⅛ in galangal, 2 stalks lemongrass, 4 makrut lime leaves and 1 turmeric leaf for 5 minutes, stirring, until it's fragrant, a shade darker, and the oil seeps out at the edges.
5 minStep 3: Add the jackfruit and 1 ¾ cups water and toss to coat. Simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes so the jackfruit softens and absorbs the spices.
10 minStep 4: Pour in 1 ¾ cups coconut milk and stir constantly for 3–4 minutes as it comes back to a simmer. Add 1 tsp tamarind paste, 1 ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Don't cover the pot from here on — the trapped steam is a frequent cause of curdled gulai.
4 minStep 5: Add 5 ½ oz long beans or green beans and simmer gently, uncovered, for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the beans are tender, the jackfruit is soft enough to break with a spoon, and the sauce has thickened slightly but is still soupy. Taste for salt; it should taste rich, lemony and gently hot.
14 minStep 6: Serve with plenty of rice and a sambal, with the sauce spooned generously over the rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gulai nangka take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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