Chayote Fries (Cho Cho/Christophine)(Air Fryer)

Learn how to make these delicious vegan friendly and gluten free chayote (cho cho/christophine) fries using your air fryer. These fries are generously seasoned, with a crispy exterior and soft on the inside. They make the perfect island style appetiser or side dish.

It's amazing what vegetables you can make fries with. Move aside potato French fries and say hello to these fries that are made from chayote.

Chayote is known by several names including vegetable pear, mirliton, sayote, chow chow, choko, cho cho and christophine.

The name varies depending on the island, but the term; cho cho, christophine, mirliton and chayote are used the most.

For Jamaicans, it is known as cho cho and is featured a lot in soups and stews. It tends to play it's own role a long with other ground provisions i.e yam, dasheen, cassava, sweet potato, cocoyam etc.

For the sake of search terms, we will be referring to the recipe post by the name of chayote.

What is chayote?

Chayote is technically a fruit but is eaten like a vegetable that belongs to the gourd family.

It is grown in the Caribbean, central and south America, Asia and Florida. The skin is light green and the shape resembles a pear hence the name vegetable pear.

The entire plant is edible including the grind, flowers and roots. Although chayote can be eaten when raw (its crisp state) it is mostly used for cooking.

When it is cooked, the texture is quite soft and translucent. You can boil it, mash it, stuff it, roast it, fry it and so forth.

The taste of chayote tends to be quite bland/fresh (similar to cucumber/zucchini/courgette) which is why it is added to soup and stews.

Health benefits

• Helps to reduce the fatty deposits in the liver and lowers cholesterol levels.
• High in vitamin b9 (folate) an essential nutrient for pregnant women for the development of the fetal brain and spinal cord.
• Low in calories and low in fat.
• High in antioxidants and helps to reduce inflammation.
• Regulates blood sugar levels.
• Water soluble/helps to curb your appetite (source).

How to peel chayote (and cut it)

• Slice the chayote in half (lengthways).
• Use the tip of a knife to score out the core/seed in the middle and discard.
• Place one half of the chayote, facing  on a chopping board and slice off the sides of each one and discard.

• Use a paring knife or vegetable slicer to peel away the skin and discard.
• Slice the chayote into thin strips/fries about ¼-1/2"inch in thickness.
• You can chop the pointed ends off if you wish but I prefer to keep them intact.

The steps

• In a bowl, mix together the almond milk, gluten free flour along with the mustard (you can use a blender if you want to make the batter extra smooth).
• In another bowl, place the breadcrumbs/almond flour along with the nutritional yeast, dried thyme, parsley, onion/garlic granules, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, pink salt and scotch bonnet pepper powder.
• Mix and thoroughly combine the dry ingredients.
• Make an assembly line with the chayote first followed by the batter and the breadcrumbs right next to it.
• Preheat the air fryer then add a liner and lightly grease it.

• Grab the fries (one by one)  and use your index finger and thumb to carefully dip it into the batter.
• Roll the chayote into the breading. I like to use a spoon to toss/bury the chayote in the breading to ensure it sticks.
• Carefully (use your fingers or even a spoon) to pick up the fries and place them in the basket and repeat (wipe your fingers each time on some kitchen towel, to rid any ingredient build up).
• Air fry at 200c/400f for 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness, keep a watchful eye out for readiness around 8 minutes and work from there. They should be slightly golden and crispy on the outside.

Notes and tips 

• The cooking time does vary depending on the model of the fryer and thickness of the fries.
• Do keep an eye on them around the stated cooking time to avoid burning/undercooked fries.
• You may need to work in batches if you have an air fryer with a small capacity.
• Eat the fries immediately or cook them when you know you are about to consume them. They are best served straight away.
• For best results, I recommend cutting the fries the same thickness and length so they cook at the same time.
• When coating the fries in the batter, carefully place in the breading, I like to use my index finger and thumb only to avoid rubbing off the excess batter.
• Have a kitchen towel on stand by in between the batter and breading process to avoid a build up of ingredients on your finger/thumb.
• Do not freeze these fries, eat them immediately.
• Make sure to have the bowls in the correct order - chayote, batter and then the breading, this makes it much easier to work with.
• You can use gluten free breadcrumbs or panko of your choice. Alternatively, almond flour is another great option.

Serving suggestions

• Vegan Mayonnaise
• Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce
• Mango Pineapple Sauce
• Escovitch Sauce
• Caribbean Curry Sauce

Other air fryer fries to try

• Parsnip Fries
• Kale Chips
• Curried Chickpeas
• Oyster Mushrooms (Vegan Fried Chicken)
• French Fried Onions
• Yuca Fries
• Apple Wedges
• Spicy Peanuts

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