Rendang, but make it vegan
Oh, the joy of tender, spicy rendang served on a steaming plate of rice. There are few things that could make us happier. But what if you don’t eat meat at all? Don’t worry—this delicious vegan rendang is here for all vegans.
In this recipe from Fairtrade Original, you use jackfruit instead of stewing meat. It’s the ideal substitute if you (temporarily) don’t want to eat meat but are craving the texture of stewed meat. You can also make delicious pulled ‘pork’ with it, for example, but let’s start with this divine rendang. Want more inspiration for jackfruit? Check out this site.
Method
1. Drain the jackfruit, rinse it thoroughly under the tap and leave it to drain in a colander.
2. Finely chop the onion and garlic. Heat 3 tbsp sunflower oil in a heavy-based pan and gently fry the onion over low heat until soft. Add the garlic, boemboe and remaining spices and stir-fry everything for a few minutes to release the flavours.
3. Add the jackfruit, coconut milk, dried mushrooms and water, and let everything simmer over low heat for an hour. Keep the lid on the pan for the first half hour, then remove it, add the sweet ketjap and soy sauce, and simmer gently for another half hour, allowing the liquid to reduce by at least half.
4. Toast the desiccated coconut over low heat in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon and be careful not to burn it.
5. Add the coconut shortly before the end of the cooking time—reserve some for garnish.
6. For the red cabbage atjar, put the vinegar, sugar and spices in a pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. Cut the red cabbage into thin strips. Pour the vinegar mixture over it, toss to combine and set aside until ready to use.
7. Serve the rendang with white rice and atjar, and optionally some finely chopped celery. Voilà, your jackfruit rendang is ready. Selamat makan!
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