Neerphanas aa chi Bhaji/ Green or Raw Breadfruit Vegetable

We were on out whatsup talking about Breadfruit. Some of my friends wanted to know the difference between a breadfruit and jackfruit.

Breadfruit looks like this.

Bread Fruit Courtesy:Google

 Somewhat different form a jackfruit isn’t it? A jackfruit looks like this.

Jack Fruit Courtesy :http://raingold.com.my/site/jackfruit

 But unlike a jackfruit a breadfruit is used raw at least in Goa its use raw or green as the Americans say. I understand that bread fruit is  used ripe too in the Caribbean. Bread fruits are common in Kerala, South Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, and Goa. Apparently is used to make sambar etc in the south.

Now in Goa you will find these breadfruit trees aplenty, they will ripen and fall down but once they come to the market they are so very expensive. This season they touched Rs.250/- a piece! The rate varies according to the size and the freshness of the neerphanas as it is known locally.

In Goa the breadfruit or neerphanas is used to make Kappa’s, a shallow fried slice that is relished, in tonak or to make a dry vegetable called Neerphans bhaji!

This bhaji is not much appreciated by my kids so I make it when I have no other vegetable or when I have too much of neerphanas! Too much happens when we are gifted the neerphanas or when hubby cannot resist them and comes home with 2 or 3 of them!

Anyway as  I  said  we were discussing the making of this vegetable with PJ then I decided to make it anyway since I needed to feed my blog baby! :D

Here I have used 4-5 slices cut up in small pieces.

To cut the breadfruit first oil your hands first run your hand on the side of the knife you plan to use this will help the sticky sap to dissolve. Now cut the breadfruit in half. Discard the talk and the central core. Remove the skin them make sections as you please. I make them long. Okay my instructions sound haphazard to me will make a post on how to cut the bread fruit soon.

Neerphanas aa chi Bhaji/ Green or Raw Breadfruit Vegetable

Neerphanas aa chi Bhaji

Traditional Goan

Ingredients:

• 4-5 Bread fruit slices
• 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1- 1 ½ tblspn oil
• 3 green chilles, slit
• ¼ tsp hing/asafoetida powder
• 2- 3 tblspn coconut
• Salt - to taste

Method:

• Cut the breadfruit in small pieces and set aside.
• In a kadhai/wok heat the oil.
• Splutter the jeera add the chillis and the hing/asafoetida and the turmeric powder.
• Then add the cut breadfruit and salt.  
• Mix well and cover with a lid.
• After 4-5 minutes remove the lid add the coconut. Stir well.
• If your bread fruit is fresh it will not need water at all to cook. But since this becomes too dry for our taste and to eat with chapatti I add a tblspn or two of water.
• This I serve with chapatti as we eat very little rice at home. Actually it tastes awesome with rice.

Variation:

• You can put little vegetable masala, garam masala while making the vegetable.
• I have also minced and used it in making usal and let me tell you no one guessed it was neerphanas or bread fruit and sprouts they were eating. They thought it was potato.

 

Neerphanas aa chi Bhaji/ Green or Raw Breadfruit Vegetable

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