Jackfruit Sabzi

This recipe for a simple jackfruit sabzi comes from the British chef Romy Gill, who adapted much of her Punjabi family’s vegetarian home cooking for her book “Zaika: Vegan Recipe from India.” In Burnpur, where Ms. Gill grew up, jackfruit grew wild on the trees around her home, and her mother worked with an oiled knife to take apart the heavy, unwieldy fruit. But in England, where she lives now, Ms. Gill reaches for canned jackfruit. Make sure to pick vegetal, unripe jackfruit in brine — rather than sweet, ripe jackfruit in syrup — then drain the pieces, breaking up any large ones until bite-size, and add them to the pan. Serve the sabzi with rice, roti, or, as Ms. Gill often does for her daughters, rolled up in a big, tender wrap. —Tejal Rao

Ingredients

• 3

  tablespoons neutral oil, like sunflower

• 1

  teaspoon black mustard seeds

• 1

  yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

• 1

  sprig curry leaves

• 1

  (20-ounce) can jackfruit pieces in brine, drained (about 10 ounces)

• 2

  beefsteak or large Roma tomatoes, finely chopped

• 1

  teaspoon amchur (dried mango powder)

• 1

  teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder

• 1

  teaspoon garam masala

• ½

  teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1

  teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

• Basmati rice or roti, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the oil and mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, stir in the onion and curry leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.
2. Add the jackfruit (breaking up any large pieces with your fingers), tomatoes, spices and salt, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated and the jackfruit is coated in a thick sauce. Taste for salt, and add more if needed. Allow to cool slightly, and serve with rice or roti.