Sri Lankan Jackfruit Curry Bake (Polos Curry Gratin)

About This Recipe

Polos curry, made with young green jackfruit rather than the sweet ripe fruit more familiar internationally, is a hearty Sri Lankan vegetarian curry whose texture famously resembles pulled meat once it's simmered long enough to soften and shred. The unripe jackfruit is boiled first to soften it, then simmered again in a coconut milk and roasted spice curry until it absorbs the sauce fully and takes on a deep, savory flavor entirely unlike its bland raw taste. This baked version takes a well-reduced polos curry and finishes it under the broiler with a light, crisp topping of toasted coconut and curry leaves, giving textural contrast to the soft, saucy jackfruit beneath. It's a modern home adaptation rather than a strictly traditional preparation, designed to turn the curry into a shareable, bake-and-serve main course. Getting the jackfruit tender enough to shred with a fork, but not so overcooked that it turns to mush, is the main technical challenge; young jackfruit needs real simmering time in the spiced coconut milk to absorb flavor all the way through, since on its own it's almost entirely neutral in taste.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gyoung green jackfruit(canned in brine, drained and rinsed)
• 3 tbspcoconut oil
• 1onion(sliced)
• 1 sprigcurry leaves
• 1cinnamon stick
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1 tbspginger(grated)
• 2 tbsproasted curry powder
• 0.5 tspturmeric
• 1 tspchile powder
• 1.5 cupscoconut milk
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 0.5 cupgrated coconut(for the topping)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the jackfruit

   Boil drained jackfruit pieces in water 15 minutes until fork-tender, then drain and roughly shred with two forks.

2. 2

   Cook the base

   Heat coconut oil and cook onion, curry leaves and cinnamon stick until the onion softens. Add garlic and ginger, cooking 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add spices

   Stir in roasted curry powder, turmeric and chile powder, cooking 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Simmer the curry

   Add shredded jackfruit and coconut milk. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces and the jackfruit absorbs the flavor.

   Mash some of the jackfruit strands gently with the back of the spoon as it simmers to help it soak up more of the sauce.

5. 5

   Bake with topping

   Transfer to a baking dish, scatter grated coconut over the top, and broil 3 to 5 minutes until the coconut is golden and toasted.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve hot with rice or roti.

Variations

• •

  Skip the baked coconut topping for a simpler, traditional stovetop polos curry served straight from the pot.

• •

  Add cubed potato to the curry for extra heartiness.

• •

  Use fresh young jackfruit if available, simmering it slightly longer since it starts firmer than canned.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days; the flavor deepens the next day. Reheat gently on the stove or in a covered dish in the oven, adding a splash of coconut milk if it's thickened too much.

Frequently Asked Questions