Dirty rice with jackfruit

This dish started out as Feijoada, but transformed into a rice dish as I realised that I didn't have any black beans, did have tinned jackfruit and also had 2 kids who wanted to eat rice.

The Feijoada will have to wait - but this Dirty Rice is a winner for sure! I was inspired by the recipe by momsdinner.net and adapted this to make it vegan friendly. Filled with nutrients, it is a one-pot dish packed with flavour and easy to make.

Recipe (serves 4):
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium white onion, diced
1 stick celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tin jackfruit, drained and cut into 1" pieces
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp onion flakes
Pinch Cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp mixed herbs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (optional - taste before adding as may not be necessary!)
1.5 cups vegetable stock in boiling water
1 cup chopped tomatoes (you could use tinned)
1 cup white rice (I used basmati)
1 tin red kidney beans, drained

Method:

1. Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large frying pan with a lid (I used a lid from another pan which fit perfectly!)
   Add onions and celery, saute for about 5 minutes until they are tender but not browned
2. Add jackfruit and spices, EXCEPT for salt and mix well
3. Add the rice and mix to coat evenly
4. Pour in the vegetable stock, add chopped tomatoes and stir well
   Increase the heat until the liquid is bubbling vigorously
5. Scatter the kidney beans on top
6. Turn the heat to low, place lid on the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Check after 15 minutes and add a little more boiling water if necessary
7. Remove pan from the heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes with the lid on. The rice will still be cooking during this time.
8. Stir and serve

​Enjoy! If you have tried this recipe then please feel free to comment below and let me know how it went. If you have any questions then please ask and I'll do my best to answer!

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