Vegan Chinese Jackfruit Stir Fry

Loaded with veggies and ready in just 20 minutes, this vegan Chinese jackfruit stir fry is better than any takeaway. It has just the right level of hotness, and it's super easy to rustle up for a quick yet delicious dinner.

This vegan Chinese jackfruit stir fry makes a super satisfying dinner with a spicy sauce and wholemeal noodles that will keep you full for longer. Chinese jackfruit recipes are not very easy to find, but I've found that adding jackfruit to a stir fry is a great way to bulk it up.

Green jackfruit has the perfect texture and consistency for stir-fries, and even meat-eaters in your family won't feel the need for meat in this dish.

What's great about this vegan stir fry is that it's a super versatile recipe that serves as a base for anything you want to make of it. You can add lots of things to it to make it your own, including sugar snap peas, cauliflower, broccoli, baby corn, pak choi, and even tofu. The possibilities are truly endless.

What do you need to make Chinese jackfruit stir fry?

Sesame oil — Toasted sesame oil works really well in this stir fry, but you can also substitute it with a neutral oil such as canola oil, grapeseed oil or sunflower oil.

Sweet peppers — I used a red pepper, but feel free to use whatever colour you have or even a mix if you want.

Shiitake mushrooms — You can use any kind of mushrooms in this stir fry (or even omit them altogether if you don't like them). Shiitake mushrooms are very common in Asian cuisine and work great in stir-fries because they taste rich and meaty.

Garlic and ginger — Use fresh garlic and ginger instead of a shop-bought paste if possible, as the fragrance is so much more powerful.

Red chilli — Deseed the red chilli if you don't want the stir fry to be too fiery.

Chinese 5 spice — This is a spice mixture made from various spices (sometimes more than five), but always encompassing the five flavours: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Common mixes include cloves, Chinese cinnamon, fennel seeds, cloves and star anise.

Light soy sauce — I like to use light soy sauce in stir-fries, but feel free to use your favourite.

Jackfruit — A can of young green jackfruit is great for this stir fry. You can, of course, use fresh jackfruit if you have it, but canned is generally much easier to find for people outside of Thailand.

Bamboo shoots — These are optional but great for adding extra texture and interest to this vegan stir fry.

Wholewheat noodles — Make sure the noodles you choose are actually vegan because not all of them are. For example, in the UK, the Blue Dragon Whole Wheat Noodles are vegan while the ones from Sharwoods are not, as they contain eggs.

How do you make it?

• Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Reserve a bit of water before draining.
• Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large pan and fry the spring onions and red pepper for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
• Add the shiitake mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, red chilli and Chinese 5 spice and cook for another minute, stirring often, until fragrant.
• Stir in the soy sauce, then add the jackfruit, bamboo shoots, and vegetable stock. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in 1-2 tablespoon of noodle water and stir it in if you want to thicken the sauce even more.
• Transfer the noodles to the pan and toss until they're well covered in sauce. Add a dash of noodle water if it looks too thick.
• Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve immediately, topped with extra sliced spring onion and sesame seeds.

Extra tips for the perfect vegan Chinese stir fry

• Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the boiled noodles and toss them well after draining to prevent them from sticking together.
• You can make this jackfruit stir fry as fiery as you want by adjusting the quantity of red chilli. Leave the seeds in if you want it extra hot.
• To thicken the sauce and make it sticky so it covers the noodles evenly, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water (water from boiling the noodles is great) and toss it in just when the stir fry is almost done.

If you liked this vegan Chinese jackfruit stir fry, have a look at some of my other quick and easy vegan dinners:

Vegan Thai Peanut Curry

Vegan Tofu Massaman Curry

Easy Chickpea Tikka Masala

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