Jackfruit Chilli
You’ve likely come across jackfruit when out and about - it’s often used as a plant-based substitute for pulled pork or chicken - but you may not have cooked with it yourself yet. Well, there’s no time like the present, you have to try this jackfruit chilli recipe!
It requires a little more prep than your average chilli but the extra step - roasting your jackfruit - isn’t too faffy, nor does it take up much more of your time. What it does do is pack in a punch of flavour and a little crispy texture.
Without further ado…
Jackfruit Chilli
Serves 6
For the spice mix
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1⁄4 tsp ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
For the chilli
400g tin young jackfruit
2 red onions
2 celery stick
1 large carrots
2 peppers (mix up the colours)
4 garlic cloves
1 fresh red chilli (use half if you don’t want it too spicy!)
400g tin black beans
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Mix together the spices in a small bowl and set aside
Preheat the oven to 180°C
Drain, rinse and pat dry the jackfruit, then drizzle over some oil plus half of the spice mix - pop into the oven and roast for 30 mins
Meanwhile, roughly chop the onions, celery, carrot and peppers and finely chop the garlic and chilli
Heat a little more oil in a large pan then add the onions, celery, carrot and peppers along with a splash of water. Cook for 5 minutes then add the garlic, chilli and remaining spice mix and cook for a few more minutes
Add the chopped tomatoes
Drain and rinse the beans, then add to the pan. Cover loosely and allow to cook down for 20 minutes
Add the roasted jackfruit to the chilli and cook for a further 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper to your taste
Pictured above, I’ve served this with quinoa, smashed avocado and vegan herby cream cheese! However we’ve enjoyed it so many different ways…baked on top of nachos with grated vegan cheese, rolled up in wraps and baked burrito-style and also with all the traditional sides: rice, guacamole, jalapeños, lots of lime juice and fresh coriander.
If you give this recipe a go, be sure to tag me in on your socials @bumpandbeyond.pt
A little about jackfruit…
Jackfruit originated in southwest India but can now be found growing abundantly in other parts of India, as well as southeast Asia, the East Indies, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. It grows in Africa, is relatively popular in Brazil and Florida, Hawaii and Australia are also planting and growing jackfruit these days too.
The jackfruit tree is bountiful producing between 100-200 fruits per year and whilst most are smaller, a single jackfruit can reach up to 45kg and grow to almost 1 metre in length!
The ripe, uncut fruit has a strong, unpleasant smell but once opened the flesh is sweet and tastes not too dissimilar to pineapple. For this reason ripe jackfruit is recommended for use in sweet dishes and the unripe for savoury recipes as it remains neutral in taste (and smell) and firmer in texture.
Jackfruit is loaded with fibre (for healthy guts) as well as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
Top tips for buying and cooking with jackfruit:
make sure you buy ‘young’ jackfruit (also known as ‘unripe’ or ‘green’). Ripe jackfruit is eaten more like any other fruit and won’t work here.
Don’t skip the rinsing step, even if you’ve bought your jackfruit in water, not brine.
Depending on where you buy your jackfruit from, you may need to de-core and chop/shred it into smaller chunks.