Polos Cutlet is a Sri Lankan snack — cooked young jackfruit (polos) mashed with spices, shaped into patties, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried golden. The jackfruit has a meat-like texture that makes these cutlets satisfying enough to be a main, yet they are eaten as a snack, the most beloved vegetarian cutlet in Sri Lanka.
Polos Cutlet is a Sri Lankan snack that uses young jackfruit (polos, Artocarpus heterophyllus) — a fruit that, when unripe, has a fibrous, meat-like texture. The cooked jackfruit is mashed with Sri Lankan spices (curry powder, turmeric, curry leaves), shaped into oval patties, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. The result is a crispy, savory, satisfying snack that is completely vegetarian but tastes like meat. It is different from Polos Curry (already in the database, which is a curry) — this is a fried cutlet, a popular snack at tea time and celebrations.
A golden, crispy oval patty with a crunchy breadcrumb crust, the inside soft, savory, and fibrous — like a fish cutlet but made from jackfruit. The spices are warm; the texture is satisfying. Dip it in chili sauce; eat it hot. It is the best vegetarian snack in Sri Lanka.
The young jackfruit must be pre-cooked (boiled or pressure-cooked until very tender). The cooked flesh is shredded/mashed, then mixed with a spiced onion base, shaped into patties, and crumbed (flour-egg-breadcrumbs). The frying must be hot (175°C) so the crust sets immediately. The cutlets should be crispy outside, soft inside.
Variations
Some add canned jackfruit; some add potato for binding; some add fish; the spice level varies.
On the Palate
Where Polos Cutlet sits in the Sri Lankan flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 6
How it's made
8 steps · 40 min active + 20 min waiting
- 125 min
Boil 500 g young jackfruit (or use 2 cans) in salted water 25 minutes until very tender; drain; mash.
Watch outBoil the young jackfruit until it's completely tender and mashes easily — undercooked it stays fibrous and won't bind into patties.
- 25 min
In a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil; add 1 diced onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, 10 curry leaves, and 1 pandan leaf.
- 32 min
Add 1 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric, and 1/2 tsp chili powder; cook 2 minutes.
- 43 min
Mix the spiced onion base with the mashed jackfruit; add 1 tsp salt.
- 53 min
Shape into 8 oval patties.
- 65 min
Dredge each in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs.
- 78 min
Heat oil to 175°C; fry cutlets 3-4 minutes until deep golden.
Watch outFry at a good hot one-seventy-five so the crust sets on contact — the cutlets should come out crisp outside, soft within; too cool and the crumb soaks up oil and slides off.
- 81 min
Drain on paper; serve hot with chili sauce.
