ramyaramesh3007This jackfruit laksa dish drenched in a spicy, flavourful coconut curry is an Asian delicacy that’s truly addictive! It’s vegan AND gluten free.
This spicy noodle dish always reminds me that asian food is like a melting pot of different cultures. The ingredients used are so similar to other curries, yet depth and type of flavours are so different.
I grew up having this in Singapore and it’s one of the most flavourful noodles dishes you can have. It basically comprises thick rice vermicelli noodles doused in a fragrant and umami coconut curry broth. It’s usually topped with fresh herbs and spices. Truly so addictive!
Laksa is native to Malaysian & Singaporean cuisines so you can easily get this dish here. However, it’s slightly more challenging to find a vegan version of this dish. This is because the traditional version contains shrimp paste so in this recipe, I veganized it very easily by omitting it!
For recipes similar to this, you can check out my Thai Coconut Curry Chickpea Ramen, Vegan Kimchi Stew with Ramen, & Vegan Creamy Miso Ramen.
I can’t find all the ingredients in my grocery store…what do I do?
While I do recommend making the Laksa paste from scratch, for an easier foolproof version, use store bought Laksa Paste. I love this vegan, gluten free and organic one by Mekhala’s Living. You just need to use 2-3 tablespoons for immense flavour (not an affiliate – I’ve tried and tested this brand on my own accord).
I also used Canned Jackfruit for this recipe which works perfectly fine! The jackfruit is unripe so it’s flaky when pulled apart – however, we can just cut the jackfruit up into pieces for this recipe. I get mine from Nature’s Charm.
What You Need
- thick rice vermicelli noodles – or you can substitute this with any noodles you like based on convenience
- aromatics – shallots, garlic cloves, lemongrass (white part only), kaffir lime leaves, galangal or ginger, limes, dried red chili
- dry spices – coriander powder, cumin powder, chili powder, turmeric
- broth base – full-fat coconut milk
- seasoning – gluten free soy sauce
- toppings – baked jackfruit, tofu puffs
- garnish – bok choy, tofu puffs sliced, red chili, coriander
Gluten free substitutions: This recipe is naturally gluten free! Make sure to use gluten free soy sauce.
Allium free substitutions: Omit shallots and garlic. Instead soak 5 candlenuts in boiling water and add it to the laksa paste.
Vegan Jackfruit Laksa
Ingredients
Homemade Laksa Paste
- 4 shallots
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 lemongrass stalks (parts with purple insides)
- 6 kaffir lime leaves
- thumbsized galangal
- 1 tsp lime zest
- 3-4 dried red chili
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric add more for colour if necessary
Laksa Broth
- 1 tbsp neutral oil or olive oil
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 500 ml water
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp gluten free light soy sauce
- salt
- 1 can young green jackfruit
Toppings
- 3 servings thick rice vermicelli noodles
- bok choy
- tofu puffs
- sliced red chili
- coriander
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
- Drain and rinse the jackfruit, and cut into smaller pieces. Spread the jackfruit evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle some olive oil and mix well.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the jackfruit is golden and slightly crispy. Set aside.
- Slice the ends of the lemongrass until you no longer see a purple tint on the insides.
- De-seed the dried red chilies. Soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can boil them for a few minutes.
- Add the ingredients needed for the paste into a blender. You can chop them up into smaller pieces for easier blending or you can blend them whole. When adding the kaffir lime leaves, tear them into half along the stem to enhance the aroma.
- Add oil to pan. Add the curry paste and saute until fragrant (one way to identify this is to see if the oil you added is coming to the top of the paste).
- Add water, coconut milk and mix well. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper as needed. Bring to a boil.
- Add your tofu puffs, baked jackfruit and bok choy. Cook them for a few minutes until the bok choy or greens are bright green. Turn off the heat.
- Cook your rice noodles according to the packaging instructions.
- Assemble the noodles in a bowl, add your laksa broth and top with coriander, lime and red chili.