Gulai Nangka (Jackfruit Curry) Recipe – Vegan

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Gulai Nangka? Meat-free curry? Yes, Please! Gulai Nangka is a delicious Indonesian dish of young jackfruit in coconut yellow curry. The main ingredient, as its name suggests, is young jackfruit. It is cooked in spices and coconut milk, along with other vegetables like long beans. The flavor of the dish improves over several days after cooking, as the spices meld over time, and the vegetables truly absorb the flavor. 

In Indonesia, this dish is commonly found in restaurants that serve Padang Cuisine, which is named after Padang, the capital city of Western Sumatra province. Imagine eating this with a warm bowl of rice with all of the gravy soaked into the rice, yum. I’d usually enjoy eating this with a perkedel (Indonesian fried potato cakes) or fried tempeh. If you have fried shallots in your pantry, you should sprinkle that on top of your dish, too. But if you don’t, no worries since this dish will be amazing.

Another way to enjoy this dish is with rice cake (or Lontong in Bahasa Indonesia). Cut some rice cake, put it in a bowl, and pour the jackfruit curry. Don’t forget to sprinkle some fried shallot on top of it. It will be even better if you have some sambal (check out my recipe here) and belinjo crackers.

Is Gulai the same as Curry?

The answer is yes and no. I know, right? It is confusing. In Indonesian cuisine, many dishes involve yellow coconut-based gravy, such as gulai, pindang, kari (Indonesian curry), lodeh, opor, and some soto. This is no doubt because Indonesia is the biggest producer of coconut in the world. Those dishes have some similarities, but the flavor is distinctive because each uses different spices and cooking methods.

If you try to Google “What kind of food is gulai?”, most Google results will tell you that it is a stew or a curry. These results come up probably because stews and curry are the most well-known coconut-based dish in the world. Therefore, it is easy to relate it to the common knowledge. However, gulai usually is thicker and spicier than curry. Curry usually uses curry leaves during cooking, whereas gulai is not.

Young Jackfruit (Nangka)

So Nangka means jackfruit in Indonesia. For those who have never heard of jackfruit, it is, in fact, a fruit. Ripe yellow jackfruit has a subtly sweet flavor, often described as a combination of banana, apple, and mango. Young jackfruit, on the other hand, has a neutral flavor and texture similar to shredded meat.

Young/unripe jackfruit has been getting a lot of love in recent times, particularly from the vegetarian/ vegan community, for its resemblance to pulled pork and the fact that it is a whole-food meat substitute rather than being fashioned out of wheat or soy.

Unripe jackfruit must be cooked before it can be eaten. It has a tough texture, needs a much longer cooking time than other vegetables, and is more similar to cooking meat. If you live outside Indonesia or Southeast Asia, it might be difficult to find fresh young jackfruit. If available, you can substitute the fresh jackfruit with canned young jackfruit (like this or this). I personally have never used this version of jackfruit but I assume as the canned jackfruit is already precooked and soft, the cooking time and the amount of water need to be reduced accordingly.

Ingredients List for Gulai Nangka!

Main Ingredients

As you can guess, the main ingredient for this recipe is, drum roll please, “nangka” (jackfruit). Make sure that you get the white-colored version of jackfruit (unripe), not the yellow one (ripe). If you are using fresh jackfruit, there are a few preparation methods that you need to do before you can cook them:

• Wash the jackfruit thoroughly using running water. Cut down any unwanted area, such as a dirt-covered surface.
• Cut the jackfruit. Since jackfruit usually comes in a cylinder shape, when you cut it, it will be in a triangular prism shape. Try to cut the jackfruit into chunks that have a rough size of 3cm (for the base – please refer to the picture of the cut jackfruit below). Young jackfruit has notoriously sticky sap, so hands had to be greased thoroughly.
• If you want to remove all seeds from the fruit, the most common method is to cut the fruit in half and then use a spoon to scoop the seeds. However, it will be fine if you don’t remove the seeds since the seeds of jackfruit are edible.

The second ingredient you would add is some additional vegetables. Usually, these can be long beans (pictured below), cabbage, or both!

• Long bean: Wash it thoroughly, remove the edges, and cut it into 2 -3 cm lengths.
• Cabbage: Wash the cabbage and cut it to your preference, but my suggestion is not to make it bigger than 5-6 cm in length.

Even though these additional vegetables are optional, it will enrich the flavor and texture of the gulai nangka.

Blended Ingredients for Gulai Nangka

• Big red chilies: Don’t be intimidated by the size of these chilies. The bigger their size usually the less spicy they are. There are three purposes for adding these chilies: to make it spicier, to enhance the flavor of the gulai, and to enhance the color of the gravy. If you omit the chili, the color of the gravy will be more yellowish instead of orangeish.
• Garlic and shallot: If you read my other Indonesian food recipes in this blog, you will know we always include this dynamic duo. It’s pretty rare for Indonesian recipes to use one without the other. Garlic has a strong and pungent flavor, often used in savory dishes to add flavor and depth. Shallots have a milder flavor than garlic, with a hint of sweetness
• Coriander seeds: For this recipe, you can dry roast the fresh seeds to enhance the flavor, aroma, and pungency, but you don’t have to. However, I would avoid using ground or powdered seeds since they will lose flavor quickly. Coriander seeds, in general, will add a mild citrusy hint with a slight curry flavor. If you don’t have coriander in your kitchen staples, try substituting it with cumin. 
• Turmeric: Turmeric might be small, but it is a major component in this recipe; don’t try to substitute it. You can use the dry version if you don’t have access to the fresh one. Turmeric is why the curry has a yellowish color, so I can say that it serves as a coloring agent. Turmeric also enhances the flavor of the Gulai since it is mildly fragrant and has a slight ginger-like bite; however, it is also bitter in quantity, and overuse can make very unpleasant eating
• Ginger: Ginger has a distinct and zesty flavor. It’s spicy (which will give some ‘kick’ to the food flavor), and the slightly sweet taste enhances the overall taste profile of this gulai.

Other Ingredients

• Coconut milk: Coconut milk adds a rich, creamy texture to the gulai nangka, enhancing its overall mouthfeel. This creaminess helps balance the spices and flavors of the blended herbs. On top of that, coconut milk will act as a natural thickening agent, helping to give the curry its characteristic consistency and ensuring that the sauce clings to the ingredients. Yummy :).
• Lemongrass: Lemongrass contributes a fresh, citrusy flavor to gulai, enhancing its overall taste profile. This citrusy note complements the richness of the curry and adds brightness to the dish. In order to release more aromatic oil from lemongrass, I usually cut the lemongrass in half and try to beat the surface to it by gently bruising the stalk, which helps break down its tough fibers.
• Lime leaves: Both lemongrass and lime leaves contribute citrusy flavors and aromas to curry. However, there is a slight difference. Lemongrass adds a tangy freshness and texture, while lime leaves offer a distinct citrusy taste and aroma, helping to balance the flavors of the curry.
• Salt and mushroom stock

Let’s Start Cooking Our Gulai Nangka!

1. Blend all of the blended ingredients!

If you use an immersion blender like me, grab a clean bowl, put all the ingredients (chilies, garlic, shallot, coriander seeds, ginger, and turmeric) inside, and start blending until smooth. During the blending process, you could add 1 tbsp oil and cut the chilies into smaller sizes; hence, the process will be much easier.

The process will be similar if you use a regular blender, except you will blend in the blender instead of the bowl.

Below should be the final result that you want to aim for.

2. Sauté all of the blended ingredients together with the lemongrass and lime leaves

Put a pot on the stove and add 1-2 tbsp cooking oil. Turn on the stove with medium heat, and wait until the oil is hot. Then, add the blended ingredients, along with lemongrass and lime leaves. Continue to stir it so all of the ingredients are cooked evenly. Stop after 3-4 minutes when the ingredients become fragrant. Don’t let it overcook and burn. The purpose of this step is to make sure we cook all of the herbs and seasoning and also to reduce excess moisture in the blended mixture, concentrating flavors and creating a smoother texture.

3. Put the jackfruit into the pot and mix them evenly

Take the jackfruit chunks (refer to the explanation of the ingredients for more details) and put them into the pot. While keeping the medium level heat, mix everything evenly until the seasoning has covered all of the surface of the jackfruit. This is to make sure each piece is evenly flavored/seasoned. Keep it for 1-2 minutes while continue mixing it.

4. Add the coconut milk

Grab the coconut milk and slowly pour it into the pot, continue mixing it until all is even. Add water to reduce the thickness of the gravy. Cover the pot and wait until all of the water is boiling. You can lower the heat; therefore, the boiling process will be slower and increase the absorption of the seasoning into the jackfruit. Occasionally, stir the mix. During this step, make sure all of the jackfruit has been fully cooked and become soft. Taste the gulai nangka and season it with the salt and mushroom stock up to your preference.

5. Add the long bean (or/and cabbage) to the pot. After that your gulai nangka is ready to be served 🙂

This is the final step, put the long bean and/or cabbage (optional) into the pot. Mix evenly and wait until all of these vegetables are fully cooked. Enjoy 🙂

Gulai Nangka Storing Instruction

There are two ways to store this gulai nangka: the regular way and the traditional Indonesian way. I usually use the traditional method, but it is up to your comfort level and preference.

Regular Method

The regular method is simple: put the dish into the food container and store it in the fridge. It will be good for up to 5-7 days. You should thaw it before consuming it by heating it in a microwave for 1-2 minutes.

Traditional Indonesian Method

The traditional Indonesian way probably is a little bit unusual for you. I guess people used it in the past because they didn’t have refrigerators and/or microwaves. The technique here is to keep it in the pot, but you have to reboil it until it bubbles twice a day:

• The first is at night. After this nighttime boil, please ensure the gulai is not stirred by any spoon.
• The second is in the morning. There are no restrictions on the no-stirring policy after this.

I guess the purpose of that boiling process is to eliminate the bacteria that will make the gulai turn bad (similar to the sterilization process). The purpose of the no-stirring policy is to ensure that no new bacteria are being reinduced. However, it works. If you forget to boil it just one time, your gulai definitely will turn bad, and you don’t want that to happen! This method will make the gulai last for 3-4 days.

I usually prefer this method because the boiling process makes the gulai taste even better on the second day! All of the seasoning and gravy is soaked into the jackfruit and makes the taste of the dish rich.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s make this recipe, and please share your experience with me 🙂

Other recipes that you might love

• Vegan Mushroom Satay with Peanut Sauce
• Spiced Tofu in Banana Leaves (Pepes Tahu)
• Indonesian Sambal (Chili Paste)
• Vegan Mie Goreng (Fried Noodle)