Embark on a culinary journey that defies expectations with this mouthwatering vegan jackfruit butter chicken! Indulge in the rich, aromatic flavours of this beloved dish!
Get ready to savour a symphony of spices, creamy textures, and a delicious culinary experience like never before. Your taste buds won’t be disappointed.
Ingredients
- jackfruit
- dairy-free yoghurt
- coconut oil
- tomatoes
- zucchini
- tomato paste
- spices: turmeric, ginger, garlic, paprika, garam masala, methi, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom
- lemon juice
- toasted cashews & fresh coriander/cilantro (garnish)
(see recipe card for quantities)
Jackfruit: I use tinned jackfruit and found a brand that I like. Sometimes, this kind of jackfruit can taste a bit too acidic. If it does, you may want to hold back with the lemon juice or add a bit of maple syrup.
Dairy-free Yoghurt: I love using coconut yoghurt because it goes so well with all the spices. But feel free to use any other such as oat, soy or almond yoghurt.
Tomatoes: Fresh tomatoes are always nicer and they’re also less acidic. But you can absolutely use tinned tomatoes (crushed or diced) as well.
Spices: This recipe demands quite a lot of different spices, however, don’t let that deter you! They’re the ones that make this recipe so indulging! Don’t worry, if you don’t have all of them. There’s also a way to cheat as well (see ‘substitutes’) ;).
Instructions
For this recipe, we have two parts. First, we’re going to marinate the jackfruit for at least 2 hours prior. This ensures that it soaks up all the yummy flavours.
Then, we make the gravy and add everything together at the end. Meanwhile, you cook some rice and/or make some chapatis to go with your jackfruit butter chicken!
It sounds harder than it is. Trust me. I’ll guide you through it and don’t forget, this deliciousness is truly rewarding!
Marinade
Step 1: Drain and rinse the tinned jackfruit. You can pull the chunks apart a bit more if needed.
Step 2: Combine the jackfruit, dairy-free yoghurt, coconut oil, lemon juice and spices (salt, methi (fenugreek leaves), turmeric, garam masala, ginger, garlic and paprika) in a large bowl.
Step 3: Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to marinade.
Make the Jackfruit Butter Chicken
Once your jackfruit has marinaded for at least 2 hours, start with making the gravy. You can also start cooking some rice simultaneously and/or make some chapatis.
Step 1: Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan (such as a wok). Once hot, add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and cumin seeds. Fry for about a minute, then add paprika, garam masala and methi.
Step 2: After another minute of frying the spices, add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the marinated jackfruit and zucchini. Cook for another 15 minutes. In the meantime, cook some rice and toast 2-3 handfuls of cashews if you like.
Step 4: Stir through some coconut cream or more yoghurt until desired consistency is achieved. Taste the curry and check if it needs more salt or anything else.
Step 5: Serve with rice and/or chapatis and garnish with fresh coriander and toasted cashews.
Substitutions
Jackfruit: This recipe works with tofu or seitan as well if you ever feel like trying something else.
Dairy-free yoghurt: I use coconut yoghurt as I find it works best with this curry, flavour-wise. However, feel free to use any vegan yoghurt you like.
Spices: I use whole spices in this recipe, but I’m also giving you the amounts for ground. When cooking, you can simply add all the ground spices together at the same time.
Spices – Cheat: If you don’t have all the spices handy, curry powder will do as well. It won’t be the exact same flavour but it’ll come close enough. Depending on the mix, you may add 1-2 tablespoons of curry powder instead of all the spices.
If you are a curry lover just like me, then check out my other vegan curry recipes. Like my cauliflower korma, pineapple curry from Sri Lanka, a curry with banana blossoms, a super quick tomato curry or my favourite satay curry with sweet potatoes!
Storage
Store this vegan jackfruit butter chicken in the fridge in a clean container. It keeps for at least 5 days. You can also freeze for up to 6 months.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 tins jackfruit drain and rinse
- ½ cup / 120g dairy-free yoghurt I used coconut
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Gravy
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger minced, or use ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick or use ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 cardamom pods or use ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 5 cloves or use ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds or use 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 4 tomatoes chopped, or use 1 tin of tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 large Zucchini quartered length-wise and sliced ~¼"
- 1 tablespoon veggie stock instant or try my homemade stock paste (see notes)
- coconut cream or yoghurt to taste
- 2-3 handfuls cashews to garnish
- fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions
For the Marinade
- Combine the jackfruit, dairy-free yoghurt, coconut oil, lemon juice and spices in a large bowl.
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours to marinade.
For the Gravy
- Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan (such as a wok). Once hot, add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves and cumin seeds. Fry for about a minute, then add paprika, garam masala and methi.
- After another minute of frying the spices, add the tomatoes, tomato paste and veggie stock. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the marinated jackfruit and zucchini. Cook for another 15 minutes. In the meantime, cook some rice and toast the cashews if you like.
- Stir through some coconut cream or more yoghurt until the desired consistency is achieved. Taste the curry and check if it needs more salt or anything else.
- Serve with rice and garnish with fresh coriander and toasted cashews.
