A breadfruit recipe made with Sri Lankan curry powders and coconut milk with a tempering that gives this vegan curry amazing flavours.
If you enjoyed the taste of Sri Lankan jackfruit curry.
Then a pot of breadfruit curry is just the type of dish you’ll want to try cooking.

In this Sri Lankan recipe, you will learn how to cook breadfruit(del curry)full of flavour and just the right amount of spices to make the dish thoroughly enjoyable.

breadfruit curry with tempered curry leaves and onions on top

What is breadfruit or del?

Breadfruit is a starchy, slightly oval-shaped fruit that roughly fits into the palm of your hand.

The fruit doesn’t have any seed but has a rigid core just like the jackfruit but unlike a jackfruit, the breadfruit is easier to clean and prepare for cooking.

There are a few ways to prepare this fruit, the most popular way of eating the breadfruit is to make it into a curry or turn it into chips.

Try it for breakfast…

The simplest way to prepare breadfruit is to boil them with salt until they are tender and serve them with freshly scraped coconut and a lunumiris sambol.

It’s the easiest Sri Lankan breakfast you’ll prepare.

Sri Lankan breadfruit curry garnished with curry leaves and onions.

Similarities between breadfruit and jackfruit.

They slightly follow the same method of cooking if you are making them into a curry.
They both have that starchy quality and can be cooked when they are still green(raw).

Tastewise there’s a difference.

Subtle but different and the only way to find out is to cook these dishes.

I promise the only difficulty is cleaning up the fruit to be cooked.
And I will be adding a step-by-step guide on how to cut breadfruit to this recipe as well.

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Sri Lankan breadfruit curry scooped with a wooden spoon and garnished with tempered curry leaves and onions.

How does breadfruit taste?

I’m sure most Sri Lankans are familiar with the taste of breadfruit but for the readers who are not familiar with the fruit, this is for you.

If you asked me to describe the flavour of breadfruit, the first word that comes to my mind is starchy but if you’ve ever eaten this Sri Lankan breadfruit curry, you’ll know there’s more than a starchy quality to the fruit.

In this breadfruit curry recipe, the combination of the breadfruit, spices, coconut milk and spices in which the curry is cooked, makes the breadfruit curry creamy and richer in its taste.
And the final touch of tempering added to the del curry brings everything together.

Sri Lankan breadfruit curry(vegetarian, Vegan)

What to serve with coconut milk.

Breadfruit curry can be served with a bowl of white rice or red rice for a village-style rice and curry menu.
You can never go wrong with pairing this delicious del curry with a
A pol sambol or a gotukola sambol with some pappodam on the side and curd chillies.

FAQ: BREADFRUIT CURRY RECIPE

Can I use canned breadfruit?
- If you can find the canned version, yes.
- Just remember to reduce the amount of water you use.

Where can I find breadfruit?
- You can find them in most Asian stores or a Sri Lankan store in your area. these are seasonal so if you can’t find any breadfruit use the canned version.

Utensils and appliances needed.

To prepare the breadfruit for cooking–
You will need a cutting board, a sharp knife, some paper towels to wipe off the sap and easy access to a wastebasket.

To cook and temper the breadfruit–
You will need a medium-sized cooking pot and a small frying pan(thaachi)to temper the final ingredients.

More breadfruit recipes.

Fried breadfruit two ways(Sweet and spicy)

More Sri Lankan vegetarian curries.

breadfruit curry with tempered onions and curry leaves served on a clay pot.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-LITTLE CARE IS NEEDED

Ingredients to cook breadfruit curry

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

1 breadfruit(cleaned and cut as per instruction given below)

2 and 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of curry powder(unroasted)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon fenugreek seed
1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic(3-4 cloves)
A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
1 large onion sliced
1 cup thick milk(1/2 cup more if you want more gravy)

cooking breadfruit curry(Sri Lankan del curry)

for tempering

4-5 curry leaves
A piece of pandan leaf(optional)
1 large onion sliced
3 whole red dried chillies(you can substitute red chilli flakes)
1 teaspoon of mustard seed

How to cut breadfruit(del).

Slice off the top of the breadfruit which would have a stem as well as the bottom(just like you’ll cut off the bottom and top of a carrot or cucumber).
Gently cut off the green skin of the breadfruit till the white part of the fruit is exposed.
Have some paper towels ready to wipe off any milk oozing from the fruit.
Cut the breadfruit in half, and then into four(again, stem to bottom, lengthwise).
You’ll notice the thick core of the fruit in the middle of the slices.
Cut the core and then you can slice the remaining breadfruit into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes.

Cooking the breadfruit curry.

Clean, cut, and have the breadfruit ready for cooking(see notes on how to clean breadfruit).

Add the breadfruit to a medium-large pan.

Pour in water just enough to cover the breadfruit.

clean and cut bread fruit submerged in water.

To the same pan, add curry leaves, fenugreek, minced garlic, turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder, onions and salt to season.

Use a spoon to combine all the ingredients and switch on the stove to medium heat.

adding onions, fenugreek seed, curry leaves into a cooking pot to make the bread fruit curry

Let the breadfruit curry cook for 15-25 minutes or until the breadfruit becomes tender(use a fork to check how soft they have turned).

boiled bread fruit cubes ready to make bread fruit curry recipe

Once the chunks are tender, pour in the coconut milk, depending on how much gravy you need it will be 1 cup or another extra 1/2 cup.

adding coconut milk to cook the boiled bread fruit curry.

Cook on low fire with the lid on for 10 minutes until the gravy thickens(maintain low heat while the lid is on or the gravy might spill over).

Slowly simmer the breadfruit curry until the gravy is thick, check if there is adequate salt while the curry cooks

cooked bread fruit curry with coconut milk .

Once the breadfruit reaches a thick consistency switch off the stove and prepare the tempering as mentioned below.

Tempering

In a small thaachi(a type of small frying pan, use your usual small frying pan for this purpose).

Place the pan over a low fire.

Add 4-5 tablespoons of oil, followed by curry leaves, pandan leaves, and sliced onion.

let them cook until they turn translucent and slightly golden, followed by whole red dry chillies, and mustard(add the tempering ingredients in the order given).

Temper until all ingredients turn slightly golden without burning them, less than 3 minutes.

tempered onions, garlic, pandan leaves, curry leaves in oil to garnish the bread fruit curry.

Once the tempering is done, pour the tempering over the breadfruit curry and mix.

cooked bread fruit curry recipe with fried onions, mustard seeds and curry leaves to cook the bread fruit curry.

Serve warm with rice and curry.

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Sri Lankan breadfruit(del curry).

Name: Sri Lankan breadfruit(del curry).
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Sri Lankan
Ingredients: Ingredients to cook breadfruit curry; 1 breadfruit(cleaned and cut as per instruction given below); 2 and 1/2 cups of water; 2 teaspoons of curry powder(unroasted); 1 teaspoon turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon fenugreek seed; 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder; 1 teaspoon red chilli powder; 1 tablespoon minced garlic(3-4 cloves); A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf); 1 large onion sliced; 1 cup thick coconut milk(1/2 cup more if you want more gravy); FOR TEMPRING; 4-5 curry leaves; A piece of pandan leaf(optional); 1 large onion sliced; 3 whole red dried chillies(you can substitute red chilli flakes); 1 teaspoon of mustard seed

Yield: 5

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

A breadfruit recipe made with Sri Lankan curry powders and coconut milk with a tempering that gives this vegan curry amazing flavours.

If you enjoyed the taste of Sri Lankan jackfruit curry.

Then a pot of breadfruit curry is just the type of dish you’ll want to try cooking.

Ingredients

Ingredients to cook breadfruit curry
1 breadfruit(cleaned and cut as per instruction given below)
2 and 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoons of curry powder(unroasted)
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon fenugreek seed
1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon minced garlic(3-4 cloves)
A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
1 large onion sliced
1 cup thick coconut milk(1/2 cup more if you want more gravy)
FOR TEMPRING
4-5 curry leaves
A piece of pandan leaf(optional)
1 large onion sliced
3 whole red dried chillies(you can substitute red chilli flakes)
1 teaspoon of mustard seed

Instructions

How to cut breadfruit(del).

Slice off the top of the breadfruit which would have a stem as well as the bottom(just like you’ll cut off the bottom and top of a carrot or cucumber).
Gently cut off the green skin of the breadfruit till the white part of the fruit is exposed.
Have some paper towels ready to wipe off any milk oozing from the fruit.
Cut the breadfruit in half, and then into four(again, stem to bottom, lengthwise).
You’ll notice the thick core of the fruit in the middle of the slices.
Cut the core and then you can slice the remaining breadfruit into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes.

How to cut breadfruit(del).

Slice off the top of the breadfruit which would have a stem as well as the bottom(just like you’ll cut off the bottom and top of a carrot or cucumber).
Gently cut off the green skin of the breadfruit till the white part of the fruit is exposed.
Have some paper towels ready to wipe off any milk oozing from the fruit.
Cut the breadfruit in half, and then into four(again, stem to bottom, lengthwise).
You’ll notice the thick core of the fruit in the middle of the slices.
Cut the core and then you can slice the remaining breadfruit into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes.
To the same pan, add curry leaves, fenugreek, minced garlic, turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder, onions and salt to season.
Use a spoon to combine all the ingredients and switch on the stove to medium heat.
Let the breadfruit curry cook for 15-25 minutes until or until the breadfruit becomes tender(use a fork to check on how soft they have turned).
Once the chunks are tender, pour in the coconut milk, depending on how much gravy you need it will be 1 cup or another extra 1/2 cup.
Once the chunks are tender, pour in the coconut milk, depending on how much gravy you need it will be 1 cup or another extra 1/2 cup.
Once the breadfruit reaches a thick consistency switch off the stove and prepares the tempering as mentioned below.

Tempering

In a small thaachi(a type of small frying pan, use your usual small frying pan for this purpose).
Place the pan over a low fire.
Add 4-5 tablespoons of oil, followed by curry leaves, pandan leaf, and sliced onion.
let them cook until they turn translucent and slightly golden, followed by whole red dry chillies, and mustard(add the tempering ingredients in the order given).
Temper until all ingredients turn slightly golden without burning them, less than 3 minutes.
Once the tempering is done, pour the tempering over the breadfruit curry and mix.
Serve warm with rice and curry.