Wondrous Nature’s Gift: Versatile Jackfruit, Part 2 of 3 - Vegan Jackfruit Steak and Japanese Vegan Jackfruit Croquette

Having a pleasant fibrous texture while giving a tender and “melt in your mouth” sensation, the jackfruit has been rediscovered as a perfect vegan alternative to meat in the West. In today’s show, we will introduce two authentic, delicious, and healthy vegan young jackfruit recipes, which are beneficial in purifying our body and mind.

The first dish we will make is Vegan Jackfruit Steak. Heat up a frying pan and add two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir-fry the sliced jackfruit flesh. When fragrant, stir in the fibrous strands and continue to stir-fry until the strands turn soft. Add soy sauce and stir-fry for a while. Cover the pan with the lid and simmer over low heat for five minutes. It is now ready. Transfer the stir-fried ingredients into a food processor and blend by holding the pulse mode for about a few seconds, and repeat twice to generate a fibrous mash. Then add the pre-cooked chickpeas, oatmeal flour into the food processor, close the lid, and apply pulses for a few seconds each until the mixture is lumpy. Now we’ll start making the vegan steaks. Firstly, we shape the cooked mixture into small balls, then mold them into patties. Add two tablespoons of olive oil into the frying pan to heat up on medium heat. Fry the vegan steak patties until they turn golden-brown on both sides.

Now, we will present the Japanese Vegan Jackfruit Croquette recipe. Place the halved washed potatoes flat side down in a pot and add water slightly below the potatoes top. Cover the pot and turn on the stove to bring to a boil. After the potatoes have boiled for around 10 minutes, scoop them out. Heat up coconut oil in a shallow pan. Add finely diced jackfruit and sauté until fragrant. Then add finely chopped fresh rosemary and sauté until the aroma is released. Remove the skin of the boiled potatoes. Mash the boiled potatoes. Add the mashed potatoes to the stir-fried jackfruit and vegetables and mix them well. Tightly squeeze each portion of the mixture into an oval-shaped ball. Stir water into the wheat flour, then mix in turmeric. Coat each oval ball in the batter until evenly coated. Then cover the coated balls with breadcrumbs. Add sufficient sunflower oil in a small fryer to slightly cover more than half of the thickness of the croquettes. Heat the oil to between 150ºC to 180ºC. Don’t flip them over until after two to three minutes when the color of the croquettes turns golden brown. Then flip them over, fry for another two minutes, and the croquettes are done.