Name: Young Jackfruit Stew (Gudeg)
Yield: Makes 6–8 servings as part of a multicourse meal
Cuisine: Indonesian
Ingredients: 2 cups (475 ml) coconut water or water, divided; 1½ cups (350 ml) unsweetened coconut milk, divided; 5 cloves garlic, smashed; ½ cup (80 g) shaved palm sugar or brown sugar, plus more as needed; 3 cans (20 oz/570 g each) young unripe jackfruit in brine, rinsed, drained, and cut into bite-size pieces; 4 salam leaves or makrut lime leaves; 3 tablespoons kecap manis; 3 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided; 10 Asian shallots or 5 European shallots; ½ teaspoon ground white or black pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 6 (½-inch/12-mm) slices galangal, divided; 1 tablespoon mushroom seasoning powder (optional); 5 candlenuts or unsalted macadamias; 2 tablespoons coriander seeds or ground coriander; 1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and bruised; 6 large hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Preparation info

Makes
6–8
servings as part of a multicourse meal

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Mortar and Pestle

By Patricia Tanumihardja

Published 2024

About

Gudeg, young jackfruit braised in coconut milk and spices, is a traditional Central Javanese dish. Unlike the other dishes in this book, Julia did not make gudeg at home. In fact, I had gudeg for the first time in Yogyakarta when I was eleven years old. I remember sitting on plastic mats on the ground. I remember a toothless old lady wearing a sarong kebaya and a tight bun on her head. And I remember that lingering first bite. When I was back in Yogya in the summer of 2022,