Jackfruit is one of the best things to ever hit the mainstream vegan community. Because of it's firm chicken like texture it is great for substituting meat in so many different recipes. For this recipe I wanted a replacement for chicken nuggets that actually looked and felt like chicken so I used young green jackfruit and it was a real hit. It's best to use canned jackfruit in water but you can also use Trader Joe's jackfruit in brine. There are lots of brands that have it canned in brine but Trader Joe's is nice an mild in my opinion. You also need to make sure that you use young green jackfruit. You do not want ripe jackfruit, which is much sweeter in taste and won't work as well for a savory recipe.
Ingredients
2 cans of Young Jackfruit (I ain’t got time for fresh jackfruit. It’s too sweet, sticky and smelly for me so I used the Green Trader Joe’s Brand in Brine. I have also made this using young jackfruit canned in water which is the best in my opinion)
Oil for cooking - I used avocado oil
Wet Batter
1/2 cup of flour (I’ve used all-purpose flour and chickpea flour)
1 cup of water
1 tbs of Sriracha sauce
1 tbs of onion powder
1 tbs of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of sea salt
Dry Batter
1-1/2 cup of flour
2 tbs of onion powder
2 tbs of garlic powder
1/2 tsp of paprika
1 -1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp of chili powder
Pinch of ground pepper
Preparation:
Mix together the wet batter ingredients in a medium size bowl and set aside.
Now mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
Now strain and rinse your jackfruit and use a clean kitchen towel or cheese cloth to squeeze out the excess liquid.
Start battering the jackfruit by placing it in the wet batter making sure it is completely coated. Then immediately place it into the dry batter making sure everything is coated.
Repeat the process until all of the jackfruit is coated and set aside.
Place a large skillet over medium heat and add in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/2 an inch deep.
Once the pan is hot add in the jackfruit. Making sure not to overcrowd the pan.
Cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown and crispy.
Drain on a paper towel and immediately add salt to taste.
That's it!
Things to remember: Because the jackfruit has been soaking in brine it is super important to squeeze out as much of the excess water as possible. You also want to make sure your oil is nice and hot before adding them to the pan. Do not over crowd the pan. That will cause the temperature to drop and your nuggets will become super soggy. So cooking them in batches is ideal.
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