Gulai Nangka (Malaysian Young Jackfruit Curry) — Vegan

Name: Gulai Nangka (Malaysian Young Jackfruit Curry) — Vegan
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Malaysian
Ingredients: 3 piece dried red chilies; 6 piece shallots; 4 clove garlic; 1 inch fresh turmeric; 1 inch galangal; 1 tsp coriander seeds; 0.5 tsp cumin seeds; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 800 g young jackfruit; 300 g potatoes; 400 ml coconut milk; 240 ml vegetable stock; 6 piece kaffir lime leaves; 10 leaf curry leaves; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; 1 tbsp palm sugar; 1.25 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lime juice; 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or Thai basil; 2 tbsp fried shallots

A rich, coconut-based Malaysian curry that uses young jackfruit instead of meat. Warming, fragrant rempah (spice paste) and creamy coconut milk make this a satisfying plant-based main for rice.

AI image

1 hr 10 min

start to finish

25 min

hands on

Some skill

difficulty

servings

4 servings

Ingredients

For the spice paste (rempah)

3 piece dried red chiliessoaked in hot water 15 minutes
6 piece shallotspeeled
4 clove garlic
1 inch fresh turmericpeeled (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
1 inch galangalor ginger
1 tsp coriander seedslightly toasted
½ tsp cumin seedslightly toasted

Contains tree-nut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

450 kcal6g protein36g carbs32g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

Soak the dried chilies in hot water until soft, about 15 minutes, then drain.
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander and cumin seeds until aromatic, 1–2 minutes; transfer to a mortar or spice grinder and lightly crush.
Make the rempah (spice paste): put the soaked chilies, drained, plus shallots, garlic, fresh turmeric, galangal, and the toasted crushed seeds into a blender or food processor; add 2–3 tablespoons of water and purée to a smooth paste.
Heat the vegetable oil in a wide heavy skillet or shallow pot over medium heat.
Add the spice paste to the hot oil and sauté, stirring frequently, until the raw smell cooks off and the paste darkens slightly, 5–7 minutes.
Add the jackfruit pieces and the potato cubes to the pot and stir to coat with the paste.
Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock (or water); add the kaffir lime leaves and curry leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover partially and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender and the jackfruit has softened and absorbed the flavors, 25–30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Uncover, stir in the tamarind water, palm sugar and salt; simmer uncovered 3–5 minutes to adjust thickness and balance flavors.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, sugar, or tamarind; stir in lime juice if using.
Remove from heat. Serve hot over steamed rice, garnished with chopped cilantro/Thai basil and fried shallots.

Worth knowing

Fresh young jackfruit is ideal for texture; if you use canned, rinse well and squeeze out excess liquid before using.
If you don't have a blender, pound the rempah in a mortar and pestle — it will be coarser but authentic-tasting.
Adjust the coconut milk/stock ratio for a thicker or thinner curry: less stock for thicker, more for a looser sauce.
This curry keeps well in the fridge 3–4 days and often tastes better the next day as flavors meld. Reheat gently — coconut milk can separate if boiled hard.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VeganMeal prepBudget

More Malaysian cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Malaysian cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegan as listed.