Jamaican Vegan Run Down is a delicious version of the very popular Jamaican dish. The results are mindblowing and taste so authentic, you and your family will just fall in love!
Jamaican Vegan Rundown Recipe
This dish is traditionally prepared with salted mackerel (pickled) and cooked in seasoned coconut sauce. Coconut milk is traditionally freshly prepared and cooked until the milk is reduced to a sweet custard.
To make life easier here in the USA or wherever fresh coconut isn’t available I made this recipe using canned coconut cream.
The cream isn’t the sugary type, this coconut cream is free of any sweeteners or preservatives. However, you can use any full-fat coconut milk.
The results were fantastic and I felt like a child again. It was creamy, indulgent with a perfect exotic flavor!
When I tell you I feel like I have hit the jackpot even though I don’t gamble believe me that’s how I feel!
The idea for this dish came as the question came to my mind, “what if I use eggplant to replicate mackerel in our traditional rundown recipe?”
You see eggplant has similar characteristics of mackerel, it has a smooth shiny skin and a flesh that softens when cooked.
My hubby was overjoyed with this dish because it reminded him of his childhood years growing up in Jamaica.
I took the opportunity to ask him what day of the week was it served in his home.
He said it was normally served as a midweek dinner with boiled green bananas, yams, and dumplings.
I used about 1/4 cup of coconut oil to lightly fry the eggplant strips, just enough for them to somewhat hold their shapes while being cooked.
You can bake them in the oven instead. In the instructions, I give more information on how to fry or bake the eggplant strips.
In my home, it was served with boiled green bananas and dumplings for Sunday morning breakfast.
How To Make Jamaican Vegan Rundown Recipe
- Trim the ends off the eggplant. Cut into 2-inch strips, about 1/2 inch wide.
- Place eggplant strips into a large bowl and toss with sea salt.
- Cover bowl and set aside for 10 minutes, while you prepare the vegetables.
- Preheat over 400 degrees F. Pat eggplant strips with a paper towel and set aside.
- Spray with oil and transfer a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning halfway. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- If you prefer to fry eggplant strips then you can heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add eggplant strips in batches and cook on each side until brown, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Place coconut milk in a large saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer until coconut milk begins to transform into a thick and creamy custard, about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, spring onion, tomato, whole Scotch bonnet pepper, parsley, thyme, allspice, and eggplant strips.
- Cover and cook for flavors to meld, about 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve immediately!
More Jamaican Recipes!
Jamaican Stew Peas And Dumplings
Vegan Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
Easy Oven Baked Sweet Plantains
Categories
- Courses: Breakfast, Main Course
- Cuisine: Jamaican
Nutrition
(Per 100g)- Energy: 526 kcal / 2199 kJ
- Fat: 50 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Carbs: 22 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 15 min
- Cooking: 30 min
- Ready in: 45 min
- For: 5 people
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, (for frying)
- 2 (400 ml) cans coconut milk
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 whole Scotch Bonnet pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Pinch ground allspice, (optional)
Instructions
- Trim the ends off the eggplant. Cut into 2-inch strips, about 1/2 inch wide.
- Place eggplant strips into a large bowl and toss with sea salt.
- Cover bowl and set aside for 10 minutes, while you prepare the vegetables.
- Preheat over 400 degrees F. Pat eggplant strips with a paper towel and set aside.
- Spray with oil and transfer a single layer on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, turning halfway. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- If you prefer to fry eggplant strips then you can heat oil in a skillet on medium-high heat.
- Add eggplant strips in batches and cook on each side until brown, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
- Place coconut milk in a large saucepan, bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer until coconut milk begins to transform into a thick and creamy custard, about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, spring onion, tomato, whole Scotch bonnet pepper, parsley, thyme, allspice, and eggplant strips.
- Cover and cook for flavors to meld, about 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
I’m so excited because it’s fall and the weather is so gorgeous! We have been enjoying outdoors here in Florida. Daevyd enjoys playing outdoors with Macho and Macho just love to play and run!
Note:
You know how fried eggplants soak up oil like a sponge. Here are some tips on preparing cooking eggplant with less oil:
- My favorite method is to bake eggplant strips in oven
- Sprinkle salt on eggplant slices, allow them to rest for 10 minutes covered so that eggplant can release water.
- Make sure the oil is fully heated before transferring eggplant strips into the skillet. This helps to sear the outside reducing the amount of oil that is absorbed.
- Lightly dust eggplant with flour (I have used brown rice flour
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Traditionally Scotch bonnet pepper is used, it imparts a unique flavor to the dish, substitute with 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper if you don’t have any.
Nutritional information is only a guide and a rough estimate.
Love this recipe
The egg plant def gave a meaty chewy texture.
This is gonna be a weekend regular
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Yes the texture does remind me of mackerel rundown from my childhood days.
This was delicious – only problem was not having any yellow yam on hand because I think it would go great!
I love this recipe! So delicious.
Thank you Aja for your feedback, so happy you love it.
I haven’t had rundown since becoming vegan, this recipe is amazing I hope everyone will try it. I ate it with dumplings and I couldn’t finish it fast enough.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you so much for your feedback.