Breadfruit Fry | How to fry breadfruit? | Pan-Fried Breadfruit

Breadfruit Fry or Neerphanas Fodi with step-by-step photos and instructions.

Breadfruit Fry are healthy, vegan, pan-fried or shallow-fried fritters. They taste really awesome. So, they are a perfect accompaniment for vegetarian meals. Crispy outside and soft and spongy inside. They are ideal as starters too. We just love these rava fry fodis. They go perfect with rice and dal. Do check out my no-onion no-garlic dal recipe below.

Dal (No-onion no-garlic)

What is a Breadfruit?

Breadfruit (scientific name Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the jackfruit and mulberry family. It resembles a jackfruit, however, it is oval in shape, smaller in size and is less spiky. Breadfruit grows abundantly along the west coast of India, i.e. the Konkan belt, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. When cooked, it smells and tastes like freshly baked bread. Hence, the name breadfruit.

Breadfruit is also known as ‘Neerphanas‘ in Konkani and Marathi, Bakri-chajhar in Hindi, Gujjekai in Kannada. In Karnataka, it is called as ‘Jeev Kadgi’ by Konkani speaking people.

Breadfruit – Fruit or Vegetable?

Although, breadfruit is scientifically a fruit it is mostly eaten as a vegetable. Unlike other fruits it cannot be eaten raw. It can be fried, boiled, baked or roasted. However, breadfruit is mainly shallow and deep fried or used in other traditional recipes along the coastal parts of India.

How to cut a breadfruit easily?

For a detailed tutorial on how to cut a breadfruit easily and some interesting information and facts check out the post below. Also, get to know how to pick the right breadfruit for cooking and storing it.

How to cut a breadfruit easily?

How To Cut A Breadfruit Easily?

What is Breadfruit Fry (Neerphanas Fodi)?

Breadfruit Fry are pan-fried or shallow-fried breadfruit pieces. Here, sliced breadfruit is tossed with salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and asafoetida (hing), coated with rava (semolina) and fried.

Tips to prepare perfect breadfruit fry

Although breadfruit fry is an easy recipe, a few tips will give you perfect, tasty fries.

1. Firstly, choose a mature breadfruit for making fritters. An unripe breadfruit does not taste good. Refer to my post here on how to pick the right breadfruit.
2. Breadfruit should be cut into medium-thick pieces. (Neither too thick nor too thin)
3. Hing – Do not skip asafoetida (hing). It imparts a delectable taste and flavour. Also, breadfruit is flatulent in nature. So hing helps to digest breadfruit well.
4. Rice Flour – Breadfruit is gluten-free. If you are following a gluten-free diet use rice flour instead of semolina (rava). However, rava adds a crunch and crisp texture to the fritters.
5. Oil – I use pure virgin coconut oil for frying. Coconut oil gives a wonderful taste and aroma. Nevertheless, you can use any other oil like sunflower oil.
6. Salt – I generally use local sea salt (gavthi meeth) as it gives a nice authentic taste and flavour. If using this salt crush in a mortar and pestle to a powder before use.
7. All salt and spice measures given here are for a medium-size breadfruit. Adjust measurements as per requirement.
8. Sprinkling water – I do not sprinkle water over the breadfruit pieces as the rava absorbs the moisture and the fritters become soggy. However, sometimes the breadfruit refuses to cook. This can happen if the breadfruit is unripe and not mature enough. Also certain varieties take longer to cook. In such a scenario, sprinkle very few droplets of water to speed up cooking.
9. Cast-Iron Griddle – Frying breadfruit requires the right amount of heat. A cast-iron griddle or skillet is good for frying since the heat does not fluctuate. It gets uniformly heated as the heat spreads evenly. The breadfruit fritters do not burn and get evenly cooked. You can also use a iron tava instead. Avoid using a non-stick frying pan preferably.

How to prepare breadfruit fry (Neerphanas fodi)?

1. If you are using local sea salt, crush it in a mortar-pestle.

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2. Apply salt evenly to the breadfruit pieces.

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3. Sprinkle turmeric powder (haldi), chilli powder and asafoetida (hing). Mix everything and coat each piece well.

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4. Heat a cast-iron griddle or iron tava. Once hot (not very hot), pour a tablespoon of oil all over it. Keep the heat between low and medium.

5. Coat each piece with rava and place it on the griddle. However, do not overcrowd the griddle else you will find it difficult to turn them. Fry in 2 batches if required.

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6. Pour oil generously along the sides of each breadfruit piece. Cover and cook.

7. After about 5-6 mins flip the pieces using a knife to cook the other side. Further, pour oil along the sides of the pieces.

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8. Next, cover and cook again.

9. Poke with a knife and check. The knife should slide in easily and the breadfruit should be soft. If not then cover and cook for some more time. You can sprinkle a few drops of water to speed up the cooking.

10. Serve hot as starters or as an accompaniment.