Ginataang Langka (Green Jackfruit In Coconut Milk) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 inch ginger, julienned
1 jalapeno, deseeded and chopped finely
1 tablespoon shrimp paste (bagoong guisado, or use fish sauce)
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
2 (20 ounce) cans jackfruit, green in brine, drained and rinsed, cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 lb shrimp (peeled and deveined) (optional)
1 pinch salt
1 pinch pepper

Preparation

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the onion, ginger, jalapeno, and ginger, and saute until the onions have softened.
Add bagoong and stir to combine. Add coconut milk and bring to the boil, then add jackfruit and stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced and thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Add shrimp and stir to combine. Simmer only a few minutes more, until shrimp is heated through.
Serve! Goes really well with rice to soak up all the delicious sauce.
* NOTES * You can use 1-2 inches of ginger, depending how much you like ginger. If you don't like big pieces of ginger, you can grate or microplane it. * I listed 1 jalapeno because that's easy to get, and gives a mild hotness. If you prefer, use 2-3 Thai bird chiles; you can leave them whole, or deseed and chop finely. If you leave them whole, get green ones so people can see them! * Bagoong is a Filipino shrimp paste, that comes in jars. Buy \"bagoong guisado\", regular, not hot. Use 1-2 Tbsp, according to taste. If you can't find bagoong, use fish sauce, or even a shrimp bouillon cube. * I use regular coconut milk. I don't know if light might separate. * Be sure to get the green jackfruit in brine, not the ripe jackfruit in syrup. The green jackfruit cans I bought were 20 oz undrained, 10 oz drained. You can eat everything in the can. I cut into smaller pieces. * I used peeled and deveined shrimp, size 25-30#. * Instead of shrimp you can use pork. Use 1/2 lb, cut into small pieces, and add after the onions. * Season gently with salt and pepper -- the bagoong is salty and the chile will add spiciness. *.