Jackfruit Katsu Curry

Jackfruit Katsu Curry

This Jackfruit Katsu Curry is one of those recipes we keep coming back to again and again. There's something about that golden, crispy jackfruit coated in panko breadcrumbs sitting in a rich, fragrant katsu sauce that just hits every time. The sauce is deep and warming with curry powder and turmeric, balanced out beautifully by a touch of maple syrup and coconut milk. We've made this for big dinner parties, lazy Fridays, and everything in between and it never fails to impress. If you've never cooked with jackfruit before, this is absolutely the recipe to start with.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Food processor
  • Deep frying pan
  • Saucepan with lid
  • High-sided frying pan
  • Mixing bowls
  • Whisk
  • Cool curry sauce to room temperature before blitzing

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp Sambar - (or garam masala)
  • 160ml reduced-fat coconut milk
  • 1 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • tbsp salt
  • 250ml vegetable stock
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 100g strong bread flour
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 x 400g can(s) of jackfruit
  • 20g nutritional yeast
  • ½ tbsp salt
  • 250ml oat milk
  • 150g panko breadcrumbs
  • 175 plain flour
  • 2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 300g basmati rice
  • 600ml cold water
  • 2 tsp maple syrup

Method

1

Make the curry sauce

  • Peel and finely dice the white onion
  • Peel and grate the garlic
  • Heat the olive oil in the deep frying pan over a medium heat Add the onion to the pan with the salt and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until soft
  • Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute
  • Turn the heat down slightly, add the soy sauce, curry powder, maple syrup, turmeric, sambar and stir for 1 minute to combine
  • Add the coconut milk to the pan, stir to combine, increase the temperature and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer
  • Add the stock, stir, bring back to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until the sauce has darkened in colour significantly
  • Leave the sauce to cool to room temperature, transfer the sauce to the food processor and blitz until totally smooth
  • The sauce should be the consistency of double cream, so add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it down if necessary
  • Set to one side for later
2

Make the jackfruit fillets

  • Drain and rinse the jackfruit thoroughly, then shred it by squishing it between your fingers and breaking it up into small, stringy strands
  • Place in a bowl and add the flour, soy sauce, curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, nutritional yeast, olive oil and mix everything together
  • Squeeze and shape the jackfruit into 4 x 1.5 cm thick fillets
3

Prepare the katsu fillets

  • Add the flour, salt and milk to a bowl and whisk into a smooth batter
  • Use a spoon to lower one of the fillets into the batter and gently fold it around to cover and coat
  • Use a spoon to transfer the battered fillet into the panko breadcrumbs and fold around until completely covered
  • Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining jackfruit fillets
4

Cook the rice

  • Rinse the rice under cold water for 1 minute
  • Tip into the saucepan and pour in the water and the salt
  • Cover and bring to the boil
  • Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and simmer for 12 minutes
  • Take off the heat, leave the lid on and leave the rice to fluff
5

Cook the fillets and serve

  • Warm 2cm oil in a high sided frying pan over medium heat until the end of a wooden spoon bubbles lightly
  • Lay the fillet into the pan and fry until golden turning halfway through (approximately 3 minutes on each side)
  • Transfer the fillets to a plate lined with kitchen roll
  • Warm the sauce over medium heat until steaming
  • Spoon the rice onto serving plates, top with the fillets, drizzle over the sauce, sprinkle over the spring onions and sesame seeds and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Get the jackfruit dry: Before you bread and cook the jackfruit, pat it as dry as you can with kitchen paper. The drier it is, the crispier and better the coating will be. Trust us on this one.
  • Adjust the heat: If you like things spicier, add a pinch of chilli flakes or a teaspoon of sriracha into the sauce when you add the curry powder. It gives it a really nice kick without overpowering the other flavours.
  • Make the sauce ahead: The katsu sauce actually tastes even better the next day once all the flavours have had time to settle. We'd highly recommend making it the night before if you can, then just reheating it gently and cooking the jackfruit fresh.

Why This Works

The trick here is building the sauce slowly. Cooking the onion down properly for a full 10 minutes before adding anything else gives you this incredible sweet, mellow base that makes the whole curry taste like it's been simmering for hours. The coconut milk rounds everything out and stops it getting too intense, and that hit of soy sauce adds just enough depth to make it feel really satisfying.