As winter approaches, I’m always looking for excuses to make comfort food of some description. The goal, as ever, is to make comfort food healthy enough that, as I shovel it into my face in an attempt to raise my body temperature up to human levels again, I feel safe in the knowledge that this totally balances out the vegan Ben & Jerry’s i’m probably going to be getting intimate with later.

Just as a side note, this curry does not contain nor require fresh pomegranate. Why, you ask? Well, I ask you in return, where does one find a reasonably-priced, ripe pomegranate in the UK this time of year? In an ideal world, one could fly ripe pomegranates in on a whim on a private jet, as part of having the cook whip up this curry for the children, Oscar and Cynthia. However, that upper-middle class fantasy is beyond the capabilities and bank balances of the vast majority of us.

So let’s keep this real simple- skip the fresh pomegranate, buy some seeds and some juice, and get stuck in. This is a relatively cheap, easy meal, full of them good fats, and that jackfruit is so tender you’ll want it to serenade you softly by moonlight. No refined sugar, no added unnecessary stuff, just the good shit. All things going to plan, you’re gonna come out the otherside with an aromatic, slightly sweet curry made with two different types of fruit. Bang tidy.

Ingredients

1 Large Can of Young Green Jackfruit (when cored and weighed, this came to 160g of useable fruit.)

300ml Coconut Milk, Canned (full fat)

80ml Pomegranate Juice (not from concentrate if possible)

100g Pomegranate Seeds

1 Clove Garlic

1tsp Mild Chilli Powder

1 Handful Coriander (can sub for 1tsp dried)

2tsp Medium Curry Powder

1/2tsp Salt

Method

1. Throw your coconut milk and pomegranate juice in a pot and stick it on a high heat. You’re going to need it to reduce down quite a lot. Drain your jackfruit in the meantime, and cut out the hard cores and remove any seeds. Place in a bowl, and press firmly a few times with a clean tea towel- we want to remove some moisture, but not enough to make the jackfruit fall apart, so don’t go overboard.

2. Chop up your garlic and coriander, and set aside in a bowl with the curry powder and chilli powder. Let your coconut milk and juice reduce for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to save it sticking.

3. After 10 minutes, add your jackfruit and spices, and mix well. Allow the sauce to reduce around the jackfruit, and once it’s almost thickened to your desired consistency (i aim for something quite soupy), throw in your pomegranate seeds and bring the heat down a notch. Stir for another 5 minutes or so before serving with your grain of choice- I went for brown rice with a little bit of coriander. Serves 2 quite nicely, and can easily be doubled up for as many people as you so please.

Per Serving:

337 Calories

4.3g Protein

23.7g Fat

26.5g Carbs