This spicy noodle dish with sour jackfruit and punchy Thai flavours really packs a punch but is quick and easy to prepare for a mid-week dinner. This is also a great recipe for throwing in extra veg you have lying around in the fridge and making it into something nutritious and delicious.
Jackfruit is such a versatile ingredient, I prefer to buy young jackfruit tinned and without any flavouring, then create a marinade just like the one for this recipe with a combination of sourness, sweetness and a hint of heat to keep things interesting. I've used savoy cabbage and tender-stem broccoli in this dish, but you could add pointed cabbage, kale, red peppers , bean sprouts or julienned carrots to the stirfry dependent on the season and what you have to hand.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)
1x 560g tin of jackfruit, drained
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsbp of fresh ginger, grated
2 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp kicap manis (optional)
1 tsp crispy chili/chili sauce
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 shallot, sliced finely
1/2 small red chili chopped finely
1/4 savoy cabbage, shredded
150g tender-stem broccoli, steamed for 2-3 mins
150g rice noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
2 eggs, whisked
1/4 bunch of fresh coriander, leaves roughly chopped
handful of roasted peanuts
lime wedges
METHOD
First steam the brocoli for 2-3 minutes, then set aside for adding to the stirfry later.
Next drain the jackfruit, wrap in kitchen roll and squeeze to remove any excess water. Slice the harder parts of the jackfruit finely, for the parts that flake away (why jackfruit is considered to resemble pulled park) use your hands to pull apart the strands into smaller chunks ready for cooking.
Place the jackfruit in a medium-sized bowl then add the soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 minced garlic clove, the grated ginger, tamarind, kicap manis, chili oil, sugar and lime juice, then mix thoroughly to combine so the jackfruit is coated in the marinade.
Place a medium sauce pan on a high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the vegetable oil and the shallot, frying for 1-2 minutes. Add the jackfruit along with 1/2 the marinade and fry for 4-5 minutes, moving about the pan until the marinade has evaporated and the jackfruit is crispy and deep in colour but isn't burnt. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Heat a large wok on a high heat and add the remaining vegetable oil. Add the 2nd garlic clove and chili, once the garlic starts to colour add the shredded cabbage and stirfry for 2-3 minutes. Add the ready-cooked brocoli and cook for 2 minutes until starting to colour.
Meanwhile, cook your noodles according to instructions.
Add the jackfruit, the cooked rice noodles and remaining marinade to the wok and stir through until everything is warmed through. Add the eggs and mix until the noodles are silky, but the eggs isn't overcooked that it scrambles. Remove from the heat and garnish with fresh coriander, peanuts and limes.