Pulled Jackfruit Tacos

Lazy Cat Kitchen

10 Servings

Ingredients

PULLED JACKFRUIT (for best flavor, make a day ahead)

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 2-3 pinches ground cloves, adjust to taste
• 1 tsp sambal oelek (Indonesian chilli paste) or chilli powder, to taste
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2  20 oz tins young (green) jackfruit in water
• 4 tbsp tamari sauce
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• ¼ tsp white pepper (black is okay too)
• 1-2 tsp liquid smoke**, adjust to taste
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

SOFT TACOS (makes about 10 4.5″ diameter)

• 1½ cups all purpose gluten-free flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

SALSA

• 15 ripe plum tomatoes
• 1 spring onion, sliced thinly
• 2 tsp lime juice
• ½ tsp sugar
• salt & pepper, to taste

REMAINING INGREDIENTS

• Romaine lettuce, shredded
• quick-pickled red onions
• vegan sour cream
• small bunch of coriander

Instructions

1. Drain both jackfruit tins. Cut the firm, pointy ends off each triangular piece of jackfruit. Set aside.
2. Heat up olive oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed, pan. Fry diced red onion until softened, translucent and lightly caramelized. Add chopped garlic  and cook until soft and fragrant.
3. Add most of the spices: cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, a pinch of cinnamon and cloves to the onion-garlic mixture. Gently sauté, stirring the whole time, for a minute or so.
4. Mix in the tomato and chili paste.
5. Add in the prepared jackfruit along with tamari sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke and apple cider vinegar. Mix everything really well. Squash the jackfruit pieces with your mixing spoon so that the individual fibres separate more. Season with pepper and another pinch of ground cloves if you wish. Simmer the mixture for another 10-15 minutes and then allow it to cool down. Place in the fridge overnight to intensify the flavour.

Just before you are ready to assemble the tacos, set the oven to 390° F. Spread the jackfruit pieces on a baking paper-lined baking tray and bake for about 20-25 minutes, until a little browned.

TACOS

1. Put a kettle on. To make tacos – mix flour, baking powder and salt in a big bowl. Add olive oil to the flour mixture and incorporate it well with your hands. Once the water comes to the boil, add about ½ cup of hot water in. Initially mix it all together with a spoon (as the mixture will be too hot), then start kneading the dough with your hands. You may need to add another splash of water if the dough is still too dry.
2. Knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Rest the dough for about 30 min covered with a damp kitchen towel. The resting step is very important so do not skip it. You can also make the dough a day in advance and keep it in the fridge overnight. If you decide to do that, bring the dough to room temperature before rolling the tacos.
3. Once the dough has rested, divide it into 10 equal pieces.
4. Set a medium, heavy-bottomed or griddle pan on a medium heat (it’s important not to get the pan too hot).
5. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out tortillas on a lightly floured surface. Refrain from adding too much flour as it will produce dry tacos. Once you are happy with the shape* and thickness (make them as thin as possible), put your taco on a hot pan.
6. Little bubbles will start to appear after about 30 seconds, if any large air pockets appear pierce them with the tip of a knife. After about 1-2 minutes from when the taco hits the pan, flip the taco and cook for only about 30 seconds on the other side. Do not let them sit in the hot pan for too long as it will produce dry and cracking tacos.
7. Keep cooked tacos in a stack in a warm place (like a very low oven) covered with a damp towel (to prevent them from drying out).