Confession: Before transitioning to a vegan diet, I ate a lot of meat. Like most, I assumed the animals were cared for humanely and died quickly and painlessly. I learned otherwise after being well into a plant-based lifestyle.
This didn’t change the fact that I was missing the chewy, tasty, fatty aspects of my previous diet. As a result, I decided to apply those features to plant-based media. Jackfruit was my first canvas, as I started this new path with a sensitivity to gluten. Not being fully familiar with this strange fruit, I started using recipes I found on the internet.
There are a couple of key mistakes that I have repeatedly encountered in jackfruit recipes. The most common is a long cooking time. Jackfruit does not benefit from slow cooking. It just turns musky, defeating the purpose of using it as a texture.
In fact, jackfruit doesn’t need to be cooked at all! The cooking I suggest is mainly bringing it to a temperature that enhances the flavor and adds warmth to the dish.
Also, other jackfruit recipes tend not to include any fats or oils. Fat is a critical component of meat’s flavorful, chewy, and fatty appeal. Not including any fat or oil significantly detracts from the flavor and results in a less filling main dish. The beauty of adding fat to jackfruit is that YOU get to choose how much and what kind is in there! I highly recommend including sesame oil at the very least, as it has a lot of flavor.
NOTE: This recipe is for young, green jackfruit in brine or water only. These can be purchased in cans or bags from Upton’s Naturals.
Jackfruit Shawarma + Tzatziki Sauce
4 cans of jackfruit in brine or water
1 packet Shan Shawerma Arabian Spice Mix*
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Neutral oil 3T
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
¼ cup nutritional yeast
Earth Balance
Open the jackfruit cans in a colander, draining the water. Slice jackfruit 1-2 times, creating elongated triangles. (“Acute” angles if you are geometric)
Return to the strainer and squeeze out as much moisture as possible by hand.
Add seasonings, yeast, lemon juice, and oil and mix well by hand, kneading seasonings and oil into jackfruit.
Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to set.
Jump into the skillet with Earth Balance.
Enjoy it on lightly toasted pita bread with tzatziki sauce, in a lettuce wrap, as a topping for pizza, etc…
tzatziki sauce
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
1-3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste
*Homemade Shawarma Seasoning Mix
• 2 tablespoons of cumin
• 2 tablespoons of paprika
• 1 tablespoon allspice
• 3/4 t of turmeric
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 1/4 cup of cinnamon
• A pinch of cayenne
• Salt and black pepper