Thai cuisine · Vegetable Dishes

Gaeng Kanun

Northern Thai curry of young jackfruit, braised without coconut milk in a chili-shallot paste with lime leaves.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 can young green jackfruit (400 g drained weight)
• 4 shallots
• 4 garlic cloves
• 6 dried chilies
• 2 stalks lemongrass
• 1 tsp shrimp paste (kapi)
• 3 tomatoes
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 400 ml vegetable broth
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 handful Thai basil

Instructions

1. Soak the dried chilies in warm water for 10 min.; drain the jackfruit, rinse thoroughly, cut out the hard core pieces and pull the rest into bite-sized pieces.
2. Pound the shallots, garlic, drained chilies and the finely sliced bottom third of the lemongrass with the shrimp paste in a mortar for 5 min. into a coarse paste.
3. Heat the oil in a pot and fry the paste over medium heat for 3–4 min. until it smells darkly fragrant and the oil turns reddish.
4. Add the jackfruit, fry along for 2 min., then stir in the diced tomatoes and the fish sauce and let collapse for 3 min.
5. Pour in the broth, add the kaffir lime leaves and simmer gently, covered, for 35 min. until the jackfruit is fibrous and soft and the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency.
6. Fold in the Thai basil, let steep briefly and serve hot with sticky rice.