Gudeg

Ingredients

Jackfruit

• 1 kgyoung green jackfruit
• 6teak leaves, or 2 tbsp black tea, or a handful of shallot skins

Spice paste

• 8shallots
• 6 clovesgarlic
• 6candlenuts
• 2 tspcoriander seed
• 1 tspcumin seed
• 2cm galangal
• 2 tspsalt

Pot

• 1 litrethin coconut milk
• 400 mlthick coconut milk
• 200 gpalm sugar
• 4salam leaves
• 2 stalkslemongrass, bruised
• 2cm galangal, bruised
• 6eggs, hard-boiled

To serve

• rice
• opor ayam
• sambal goreng krecek

Directions

1. Boil the young jackfruit in water for 30 minutes and drain it, which takes away the raw sap taste. Cut it into pieces of about 3 cm.
2. Grind the spice paste ingredients smooth, then fry the paste in a little oil until fragrant and the raw shallot smell has gone.
3. Line the bottom of a heavy pot with the teak leaves.
4. Add the jackfruit, the fried spice paste, the whole aromatics, the palm sugar and the thin coconut milk.
5. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered over a very low heat for 3 to 4 hours. Four hours is not an exaggeration.
6. Add the hard-boiled eggs after the first hour so that they colour and take on flavour too. When nearly all the liquid has gone, add the thick coconut milk and cook for a further 30 minutes to 1 hour.
7. Serve with rice, opor ayam, sambal goreng krecek and a spoonful of the thick coconut sauce.

Technique

• Gudeg kering is the dry version, cooked down further and keeping for days; gudeg basah is the wetter everyday one.
• Yogyakarta’s version is markedly sweeter than the one made in Solo.
• Tinned young jackfruit in brine is widely sold and works well, provided it is rinsed thoroughly.

Substitutions

• Tinned green jackfruit in brine, rinsed well, in place of fresh.
• Dark brown sugar with a spoonful of molasses in place of palm sugar.

Variations

• Gudeg kering, dry enough to travel and to keep.
• Gudeg manggar, made with coconut flower buds instead of jackfruit.
• The Solo version, paler and much less sweet.

History

A dish made from young, unripe jackfruit, slow-cooked for many hours in coconut milk, palm sugar and spices until it turns a deep brown and takes on a tender, almost meat-like texture, developed in and closely associated with the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, so much so that Yogyakarta is sometimes nicknamed Kota Gudeg, or Gudeg City. Its extremely long, slow cooking time, historically requiring many hours of continuous low simmering, reflects a Javanese culinary patience considered central to achieving gudeg’s proper deep flavour and tender texture, with the dish traditionally cooked in large clay pots over wood fire. Gudeg remains one of the most iconic and specifically regional dishes of Indonesian cuisine, deeply tied to Yogyakarta’s distinct culinary identity.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gudeg?

Gudeg is a main from Indonesia: yogyakarta young jackfruit stewed sweet in coconut milk and palm sugar. A dish made from young, unripe jackfruit, slow-cooked for many hours in coconut milk, palm sugar and spices until it turns a deep brown and takes on a tender, almost meat-like texture, developed in and closely associated with the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, so much so that Yogyakarta is sometimes nicknamed Kota Gudeg, or Gudeg City. Its extremely long, slow cooking time, historically requiring many hours of continuous low simmering, reflects a Javanese culinary patience considered central to achieving gudeg’s proper deep flavour and tender texture, with the dish traditionally cooked in large clay pots over wood fire. Gudeg remains one of the most iconic and specifically regional dishes of Indonesian cuisine, deeply tied to Yogyakarta’s distinct culinary identity.

How long does Gudeg take to make?

Gudeg takes 40 min of preparation and 5 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated hard to make.

What can I substitute in Gudeg?

Yes, within limits. Tinned green jackfruit in brine, rinsed well, in place of fresh. Dark brown sugar with a spoonful of molasses in place of palm sugar.

What is the most important thing to get right in Gudeg?

Add the jackfruit, the fried spice paste, the whole aromatics, the palm sugar and the thin coconut milk.