Konkani Neer Phanas Bhaji | Goan Style Nirpanasachi Bhaji | Breadfruit Sabzi | Jeev Kadgi | Jeegujje | Kadachakka recipe with detail instructions and a video. Neer Phanas Bhaji or Nirpanas Bhaji is a simple Konkani dry curry made from breadfruit. The recipe name is derived from the word ‘nirpanas’ or ‘neer phanas’ which is the Konkani word for breadfruit and ‘bhaji’ meaning a dry curry.
Breadfruit is found in the coastal region of southwestern India in the states of Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala. It is referred to as ‘nirpanas’ in Konkani by the Goans. In Marathi, it is called as ‘neer phanas’ or ‘neer fanas’. It is called by different names like ‘breadfruit’, ‘jeev kadgi’, ‘kadachakka’, ‘jeegujje’, ‘sheema chakka’ in the rest of India. It has a thick light green or yellowish green rough outer surface with a cream coloured inner flesh. The outer surface is covered with flat blunt spikes. Nirpanas is spherical in shape and is of the size of a coconut. It is starchy in nature.
Picking the right Neer Phanas for Bhaji
For Indian cooking, we need to make sure that the neer phanas is perfectly ripe. An unripe breadfruit will spoil your dish, while an over ripe one tastes like banana. So it is important to learn to identify a perfectly ripe produce. A ripe nirpanas is yellowish green or parrot green in colour and bigger in size. Also the flat blunt spikes on the outer surface are well spaced and spread out. An unripe breadfruit is small in size and has a darker green colour. Also the spikes on an unripe breadfruit are closely packed together.
Prepping the Nirpanas for Bhaji
For the recipe, the outer green skin needs to be peeled off and discarded. Also the inner hard core needs to be removed and discarded. The cream colored inner flesh needs to be diced thinly for the bhaji. You can refer to our post on ‘How to cut a breadfruit‘ for cutting instructions and storage tips.
Nirpanasachi bhaji is a simple and quick Goan dry curry recipe. This recipe contains a basic Indian tadka used to flavour the breadfruit. Neer phanas is the only exotic hard to find ingredient in this dish. All the rest of the ingredients are commonly found in every Goan home. In my home, we serve this bhaji as a side dish with rice/dal or rice/fish curry. You can also serve this dish with roti/chapatis/fulkas.
Please watch out for our upcoming videos and posts on more neer phanas recipes!!
Ingredients
- 250 grams breadfruit pieces (chopped thin)
- 2 medium onions (sliced thin)
- 2 green chillies
- 8 curry leaves
- 2 Tbsp fresh grated coconut
- ½ Tsp turmeric powder
- ½ Tsp mustard seeds
- ½ Tsp cumin seeds
- ⅛ Tsp asafoetida powder
- ½ Tsp sugar
- salt as per taste
- coconut oil
Instructions
- Heat 2 – 3 Tsp coconut oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
- Add asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
- Add onions. Fry for 2 minutes.
- Add green chillies and turmeric powder. Fry for another 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add breadfruit pieces. Add 1/4th cup of water. Mix well. Cover and cook on a low flame for 3 – 4 minutes.
- Add coconut, sugar and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook till the breadfruit is soft and all the water from the bhaji dries up.
Tips & Tricks
- You can refer to our post and video for detailed instructions on how to cut breadfruit.
- After cutting, soak the breadfruit pieces in water until use else it will turn black.