Gulai Nangka - Jackfruit Curry

Indonesia is a multi-ethnic country with a wide variety of cuisines. One of the most popular cuisines in Indonesia is Padang cuisine. Unlike many other cuisines, Padang cuisine is widespread across the country. It is almost impossible not to see a Padang restaurant in any neighborhood. Understandably, most Indonesians’ favorite food will involve a Padang dish or two.

Some of the more popular Padang cuisine dishes include: rendang, telur balado, terong balado, ayam pop, ayam bakar, gulai ayam, gulai daun singkong, gulai nangka, and sambal cabe ijo. The official list of dishes is much longer. You can eat only Padang cuisine every lunch and dinner for a week or two before the need for any repeat.

For me, Gulai Nangka is one of the must-haves whenever I visit a Padang restaurant. Among the many Indonesian jackfruit dishes, Padang jackfruit curry is my favorite.

Let me share my recipe to make a Padang restaurant Gulai Nangka (jackfruit curry). The ingredients will be long, but it is easy to cook this curry at home. For Padang food lovers, I promise you will love this recipe.

Ingredients for Gulai Nangka (Indonesian jackfruit curry)

• young jackfruit
• coconut milk
• shallot (or onion)
• garlic
• ginger
• galangal
• red chilies
• star anise
• cardamom pods
• candlenuts
• kaffir lime leaves
• daun salam (Indonesian bay leaves)
• tamarind
• turmeric powder
• salt
• palm sugar

Young jackfruit (canned vs. fresh)

I usually buy canned young jackfruit since it is not common to find fresh jackfruits in the US. It is also more convenient to use canned jackfruits since they are ready to cook once drained.

If you want to use fresh jackfruit, select a green unripe jackfruit. The ripe fruit is not for cooking, but you can enjoy the ripe yellow fruits if you choose the wrong one.

For those living in Indonesia or other countries where the markets sell fresh young jackfruits, you can usually buy a portion of the fruit and not the whole fruit. Jackfruit is quite a large fruit, so there is a tacit understanding that most people will not buy a whole fruit.

Handling fresh jackfruit is tricky since it is very sappy and sticky. Please oil your blade with each cut, or it will be difficult to clean it later. If you buy it fresh from a traditional market, you can request the seller to cut the jackfruit, saving you from doing this chore yourself.

Finally, you will need to boil fresh young jackfruit in a pot of water for one hour before they are ready to be used in this recipe.

How to cook Gulai Nangka (Indonesian jackfruit curry)

1. Prepare spice paste

Puree onion/shallot, garlic, red chilies, candlenuts, ginger, and galangal into a smooth paste.

TIPS: If the paste remains chunky, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, and puree again.

2. Make tamarind paste/juice

Mix tamarind with three tablespoons of warm water. Massage with hands until the mixture is dark brown and thick. Strain to remove all the seeds and pulps to get tamarind paste/juice.

3. Cook the curry

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat and sauté spice paste, star anise, cardamom pods, turmeric powder, Indonesian bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add the young jackfruit and mix well.

Add coconut milk, water, tamarind, salt, and palm sugar. Once it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours or until the jackfruit is soft.

Adjust salt and sugar as needed. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

How to eat in a Padang restaurant

There is an unwritten rule to what one should do when visiting a Padang restaurant for a sit-down meal.

First, you walk into the restaurant and scan for empty tables. If you spot one, walk to it and take a sit.

Soon, a waiter will bring you a serving of steamed white rice along with approximately a dozen dishes, each dish enough to feed one to two persons. It is similar to a dim-sum experience but with Padang cuisine flair.

Tea is usually the norm, but you can ask for other drinks like bottled water, coffee, or soft drinks.

Partake only the dishes you want to eat unless you are willing to pay for everything. It is best to set aside the plates/bowls you don’t want to eat or ask the server to take those away from the table.

If there is a particular dish you want, you can ask for it specifically from the server. You can also walk to the counter with a mountain of different dishes, each one looking more delicious than the next. Select the ones you want and request to be sent to your table.

After you finish your meal, signal a server for the bill. Make the payment and be on your merry way with a full belly.

Other Padang cuisine recipes to try

If you love this jackfruit curry and want to give other Padang cuisine dishes a try, you may want to try my other Padang recipes:

1. Padang meat dishes

• Rendang Sapi
• Rendang Ayam
• Ayam Pop
• Ayam Bakar
• Gulai Ayam
• Ayam Kalio

2. Padang vegetable dishes

• Terung Balado
• Gulai Singkong
• Gulai Kale
• Gulai Nangka dan Kacang Panjang

3. Padang egg dishes

• Telur Balado
• Gulai Telur

4. Padang noodle dishes

• Soto Padang

5. Padang chili relish

• Cabe Ijo
• Sambal Lado