Authentic Vegan Jackfruit Rendang (Vegetarian Beef Curry)
An authentic vegan jackfruit rendang: a vegetarian version of the Indonesian beef rendang curry using canned jackfruit vegetable with just 20 minutes of cooking time!
Ingredients
For the Spice Paste:
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 medium shallot
- 5 cm ginger (2 inches)
- 3 Spanish peppers
- 2 sticks lemongrass white part only, so the bottom 1/3rd; use the top 2/3rd for simmering
- 2 Tablespoons galangal powder/laos
- 1 Tablespoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 10 candlenuts/kemiri (optional)
For the Vegetables:
- 250 grams potatoes or sub with tempeh for more protein (9 oz)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or any other cooking oil
- 1 can young jackfruit 550 grams (or 19 oz), 280 grams (10 oz) when drained
- 1 can coconut milk (400 ml, 14 oz)
- 400 ml water for simmering (14 oz)
Optional Vegetables:
- 8 kaffir lime leaves (optional)
- 4 bay leaves (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon tamarind paste or sub with lime juice (optional)
Instructions
Preparation and Cooking the Spice Paste
- Prep the spice paste: Peel the garlic, shallot, and ginger. Cut off the top of the Spanish peppers. Slice the bottom 1/3rd part of your lemongrass into discs, like how you would slice a scallion.For the remaining top 2/3rd of your lemongrass, cut into 2-3 pieces, resembling matchsticks.10 cloves garlic, 1 medium shallot, 5 cm ginger, 3 Spanish peppers, 2 sticks lemongrass
- Blend the spice paste: Add all the spice paste ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth for about 1-2 minutes.TIP: You can also double the spice paste recipe and freeze half of them to save time later.10 cloves garlic, 1 medium shallot, 5 cm ginger, 3 Spanish peppers, 2 sticks lemongrass, 2 Tablespoons galangal powder/laos, 1 Tablespoon coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons water, 10 candlenuts/kemiri
- Cut: Cut the potatoes into cubes of around 2 cm in each side (around as wide as your thumb).250 grams potatoes or sub with tempeh for more protein
- Cook the paste: Heat a large pan on medium-high and add the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add the rendang paste (from the step above) and the remaining 2/3rd of the lemongrass. If using, also add the kaffir lime and bay leaves.Cook on medium heat while stirring until it turns darker for 6-8 minutes. Be careful not to burn the spice by stirring it every 1-2 minutes.2 sticks lemongrass, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, 8 kaffir lime leaves, 4 bay leaves
Cooking the Vegetables
- Add: Once the spice paste turns dark, add the jackfruit and potatoes. Then add half a can of coconut milk (200ml) and 1 can of water (400ml). It will look a bit 'soupy' but don't worry because most of the moisture will evaporate later!Simmer: Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to low and leave it uncovered to simmer for 35-40 minutes (or 20-25 minutes if your canned jackfruit is already cooked/parboiled). You definitely want it to still be bubbling gently.If your jackfruit is hard and doesn't break apart easily, then it's still raw. On the other hand, if you can break it apart easily using your hand or a spoon, then it's already cooked/parboiled.250 grams potatoes or sub with tempeh for more protein, 1 can young jackfruit, 1 can coconut milk, 400 ml water
- Add and break: After 35-40 (or 20-25) minutes of simmering, add the other half a can of coconut milk. Then break apart the jackfruit using your spatula. I recommend doing this using a wooden cooking spoon.Simmer: Give it a good stir and let it simmer further for 10-15 minutes until both the jackfruit and potatoes are cooked and the rendang sauce thicken into a curry-like consistency.1 can coconut milk
- Serve: Once you can easily pierce the jackfruit and potatoes by a fork, turn off the heat and add in the tamarind paste/lime juice if using. If not, you can already serve it on a bed of brown rice!1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
Notes
Ingredients and Equipment Notes:
- Candlenuts give this rendang that signature 'creamy' texture and adds a nutty tone to the dish. However, understanding that this could be hard to get, feel free to omit them.
- Both bay leaves and kaffir lime leaves really give that authentic rendang smell. However, knowing that they could be hard to get, just know that the recipe will still work although it won't give the ultimate best results.
- If you cannot find fresh bay leaves, you can use dried bay leaves. They are usually available in most supermarkets since they are often used in soups!
- Traditional rendang is cooked in a big wok so if you don't have a wok (like me), cook it in a big pan instead of a pot.
- If you only have a pot at hand, that will also work in a pinch. When I tested this, I found that less water evaporates when using a pot so I will only add 300ml of water instead of 400ml before simmering.