Indonesian Cuisine
Gudeg Jogja Original (Yogyakarta's Sweet, Savory, and Rich Young Jackfruit Stew)
Prep
30 min
Cook
300 min
Servings
6
Level
Medium
Gudeg Jogja is a legendary Indonesian dish made from young jackfruit, slow-cooked for hours with coconut milk and palm sugar until it turns a deep brown color with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. This sweet, rich flavor combination typical of Yogyakarta is usually enjoyed with free-range chicken, spiced boiled eggs, spicy krecek (spicy beef skin crackers in chili sauce), and warm rice. It's perfect as a special weekend dish or a nostalgic taste of home.
🧂 Ingredients
🍽️ Servings: 6
Adjust the servings and the ingredient amounts & nutrition below update automatically.
- 1.5 kg Young jackfruit
- 1 liter Thick coconut milk
- 1 liter Thin coconut milk
- 250 grams Palm sugar (gula jawa), finely shaved
- 3-4 leaves Teak leaves (for natural brown color, optional)
- 1/2 chicken Free-range chicken, cut into 4 pieces
- 6 Boiled eggs, peeled
- 4 leaves Bay leaves
- 1 inch piece Galangal, smashed
- 500 ml Coconut water (optional, for boiling)
- 8 cloves Shallots
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 5 Candlenuts, roasted
- 1 tsp Ground coriander
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 200 grams Beef skin (krecek), soaked in hot water
- 10 pieces Curly red chilies
- 8 pieces Bird's eye chilies (adjust to taste for spiciness)
- 2 pieces Red tomatoes
- 1 cluster Petai (stink beans, optional)
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👩🍳 Instructions
- 1 Wash the young jackfruit thoroughly and cut into medium-sized pieces. Briefly boil in boiling water for 10 minutes to remove the sap, then drain.
- 2 Grind the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, and coriander into a smooth paste to make the base seasoning for the gudeg.
- 3 Prepare a large pot and line the bottom with teak leaves (if using) so the gudeg turns a rich brown color without burning. Arrange the young jackfruit on top.
- 4 Place the boiled eggs and free-range chicken on top of the jackfruit. Sprinkle with the ground seasoning paste, shaved palm sugar, bay leaves, and galangal.
- 5 Pour in the thin coconut milk and coconut water until the ingredients are submerged. Cook over medium heat without stirring for 1 hour so the jackfruit doesn't fall apart.
- 6 Once the jackfruit starts to soften, gently stir from the bottom up. Pour in the thick coconut milk, add the salt and granulated sugar, and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- 7 Continue cooking over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 hours until the coconut milk reduces, the jackfruit becomes tender, and the gudeg turns a deep brown color. The longer it cooks, the richer the flavor and darker the color will become.
- 8 While waiting for the gudeg to finish cooking, make the krecek sambal: sauté the ground seasoning paste (shallots, garlic, red chilies, and bird's eye chilies, blended) until fragrant.
- 9 Add the soaked beef skin (krecek), tomatoes, and petai if desired. Pour in a little coconut milk and water, and cook until the krecek is tender and the sauce has reduced. Season with salt and sugar to taste.
- 10 Once the gudeg is perfectly cooked (tender, brown, and rich), remove from heat. Serve the gudeg with shredded or cut chicken, egg, a drizzle of areh sauce (thick coconut milk cooked separately until thickened), and the krecek sambal on top. Serve with warm steamed rice.
💡 Tips
• Use real teak leaves to achieve the natural brown color characteristic of authentic Jogja gudeg; if unavailable, you can substitute by adding more palm sugar.
• Cook the gudeg over low heat for a long time so the seasoning fully absorbs into the jackfruit and the texture becomes soft and melt-in-your-mouth—don't rush it with high heat.
• Gudeg tastes even better when reheated the next day, as the flavors deepen further, so it's great to make a day ahead of serving.
• For dry-style Jogja gudeg, cook it even longer until the coconut milk has almost completely reduced and evaporated.
📊 Nutrition Facts / serving
420
Calories (kcal)
18 g
Protein
26 g
Fat
32 g
Carbs
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