To say that these burgers are a ‘moveable feast’ is an understatement. Other than the jackfruit, you can mix and match any of the salad items or spices to suit your taste and appetite! We have kept with a Far Eastern theme with the ingredients, and are serving the burgers with bao buns, that you can make yourself or buy from most major supermarkets or Asian stores. Once again, always look out for ingredients on any canned or packaged goods to ensure they are vegan.
Anybody who eats jackfruit always says that it is very similar to pulled pork (if they have previously been multi diet). It is important to get green/young jackfruit for this dish as it is much better. Jackfruit is amazing – when fully grown it is an enormous veg/fruit, so the younger version is better for flavour. Fresh jackfruit is hard to come by, so just use cans or tins, but if they are salted, remember to rinse the fruit before use.
Your coleslaw accompaniment can be made with whatever you enjoy, as can your toppings/seasonings.
Jackfruit is full of nutrients and antioxidants, so very healthy to eat. Diabetics can also eat this readily as it is known to control blood sugar levels.
Serving: 4
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: Varies according to the different items in the method
Ingredients:
- 2 x 400g cans of green/young jackfruit
- 1 small bunch spring onions, sliced
-
3tsp grated ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or ground to a paste
-
3tsp soy sauce (or to your taste)
-
1tbsp rice vinegar
-
2tbsp hoisin sauce (plus extra to serve)
-
1tsp maple syrup
- 1tbsp vegetable oil (sesame or peanut)
- 1 heaped tsp Chinese five spice
For the bao buns (makes 4, so double for 8 buns):
150g plain flour (you can also use bao flour from Asian supermarkets)
1tsp instant active yeast
10ml vegetable oil
½tsp fine sea salt
1tsp sugar (optional)
Warm water (keep about 120ml in a cup or jug and use a little at a time)
For the slaw:
Fresh red chillies, finely sliced (the amount is up to you, or you can use green if you like it hot!)
½ medium sized cucumber, cut into matchsticks
Red cabbage, shredded finely (about half of a medium sized one)
2 large carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 large red onion, finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Bunch of fresh coriander chopped, (or Thai basil)
For the Asian Slaw Dressing:
3tbsp olive oil
1tbsp toasted sesame oil
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
3tbsp brown rice syrup, agave or honey (use raw honey)
1tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1tbsp ginger, chopped
½tsp salt
½tsp chilli flakes
Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Roasted, crushed cashews or peanuts (optional)
Optional Extras:
More chillies, chilli sauce or other spices to your taste for toppings!
Method:
First make the bao buns and the slaw. If you don’t want to make the buns, or you don’t have time, by all means buy vegan buns from the supermarket – but these are worth the effort.
Place the bun ingredients (half of the oil only) into a bowl, with a little of the water. Mix the dough with your hands and gradually add the warm water a little at a time. You need to get to a consistency that is smooth but not too sticky, just elastic.
Roll the dough into a ball and smooth a little more of the oil on the top to stop it from drying out. Place in a clean bowl and cover with a tea towel. Put the bowl in a warm place but not next to direct heat (i.e. a cupboard, larder or similar). You need the dough to double in size before using it, about 1½ hours.
Prepare a steamer by cutting a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom. Punch a few small holes into the paper to allow steam to escape.
Remove the dough onto a floured board and gently press out the air. Cut into 4 and roll each piece into a ball. Cover with a tea towel and leave for 30 minutes.
Take each dough ball and roll out into a circle about ½cm thick. Cut 4 pieces parchment paper about the size of the bun. Fold the bun in half and place a piece of paper between each to avoid sticking. Place in your steamer basket and leave for a further 30 minutes.
Prepare your pan of water for the steamer to sit on. Put pan over a medium heat and place steamer on top. Bring the water to a strong simmer and leave for 5 minutes – no peeking, as this will affect the consistency of the buns!
After 5 minutes, take the steamer off the heat, and then leave for another 5 minutes. Your buns should be light and fluffy by then.
The jackfruit mix…:
You can make your delicious jackfruit filling whilst your buns are proving, and simply reheat when you are ready to serve everything.
Make sure you wash and drain the jackfruit first. If the pieces of jackfruit have pointed ends, just cut those off. Once drained, place jackfruit in a bowl and pull apart, like shredding, so that when cooking, it really takes on all the flavour of spices and sauce.
Add remaining oil to a large frying pan and fry off the garlic, spring onions and ginger, make sure it doesn’t burn.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine – it should be smelling good by now! Cook gently until jackfruit is soft and shredded nicely.
The Asian Slaw:
The easy part! Simply prepare all your ingredients as per the recipe and combine in a big bowl. Just before serving, mix in a little of the dressing then put the remainder into a bowl for your guests to add. For the extras, simply put them into bowls so everyone can help themselves!
Fill the buns and away you go! Enjoy!
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