Vegan Jackfruit Goulash

Tender jackfruit in a tangy red wine sauce, what more could you want?

The Christmas feast goes into the second round! If you don't have the time or feel like spending ages in the kitchen at Christmas, this goulash recipe is just right for you.

It doesn't require a lot of preparation and the chopping is kept to a minimum. But still, goulash is a slow food. So bring enough time so that the flavors can develop perfectly during the long simmering.

I was on the warpath with jackfruit for a long time, somehow I couldn't get rid of the sour taste that comes from the brine. The solution is totally simple: baking soda! Simply put the jackfruit in a soda bath before processing. The soda lye neutralizes the acid and the jackfruit becomes neutral.

Similar to the roulades, this dish also benefits from the rich, aromatic sauce, so don't be shy with the spices.

For 4 servings you need:

For the goulash:

• 350g canned jackfruit (drained weight).

• paprika, rose hot + sweet

• Smoked paprika

• chili flakes

• garlic powder

• salt, pepper

• Alba oil or other butter flavored oil

For the soda bath:

• cold water

• approx. 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• For the goulash:

• 350g jackfruit

• paprika, powder spicy + sweet

• Smoked paprika powder

• chili flakes

• garlic powder

• salt, pepper

• Alba oil or other butter flavored oil

For the red wine sauce:

• 1 carrot

• 1 onion

• 1 tbsp. tomato paste

• 1 tbsp. date syrup

• 200ml dry red wine

• 500ml vegetable broth

• 2 red bell peppers

• paprika powder, hot + sweet

• Smoked paprika powder

• chili flakes

• rosemary

• garlic powder

• salt, pepper

• 2 bay leaves

• Alba oil or other butter flavored oil

• 1 tablespoon starch

Preparation:

Soda bath:

1. Fill a large bowl with cold water and dissolve the baking soda in it.

2. Rinse the jackfruit well under running water and cut it into smaller pieces if necessary. Then let it soak in the soda bath for at least 30 minutes.

Goulash:

1. Remove the jackfruit from the soda bath and rinse thoroughly. Then pat them dry.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the jackfruit in it.

3. Season generously with sweet, hot and smoked paprika powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

4. Remove the jackfruit from the pan and set aside.

Red wine sauce:

1. Peel and finely dice the onion and carrot.

2. Wash the bell peppers as well and dice them coarsely.

3. Add some oil to the same pan and sauté the carrots and onions for about 5 minutes.

4. Add the tomato paste (1 tbsp.) and fry it briefly.

5. Then add the date syrup (1 tbsp.) and let it caramelize for about 1 min.

6. Deglaze with red wine (200ml) and let the liquid boil down a bit.

7. Pour in the vegetable stock (500ml) and add bay leaves (2), jackfruit and diced bell peppers.

8. Season the sauce again and simmer with the lid on for 1 - 2 hours on low heat. Stir from time to time.

9. After about an hour you can add the rosemary.

10. When the time is up, you can flavor the sauce again.

11. If it is too spicy or salty, you can dilute it with a little water.

12. Finally, dissolve the starch in some cold water and add it to the goulash while stirring.

13. Let everything boil again briefly. And that's it ;)

Enjoy!

Tip: This goes well with pasta, potatoes or dumplings.