Tag: roast

No Need of Onions!!! · Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Crispy Arbi Fry (Colocasia part steamed and slow roasted in oil with spices)

Shoba11 Comments
Arbi Fry
Arbi Fry

Colocasia or Arbi or Sepangkizhangu, a starchy root tuber, very much similar to Potatoes,  has always been a favourite. It`s slightly different from the potatoes , in that it is irregular shaped and has a slightly scaly skin. When boiled, it also gives out a slightly sticky feeling so its important that the tuber is not ovber cooked. Amma would not make it too often, but when she does D and me woud devour it right away. Many of my friends at school also loved her Arbi Fry. It`s not something that I do very regularly as it does need a little extra oil,  more than I would be comfortable with…But when I do make it, I dont scrimp on the oil or the spices.

INGREDIENTS:

20 pieces or 1/2 kgs of Colocasia/Arbi/Sepangkizhangu.

Turmeric

1 1/2 spoons of Red Chilli Powder.

Salt

1 spoon of Besan and 1 spoon of Rice Flour.

Hing

A spoon of tamarind extract.

PREPARATION:

  • There are multiple varieties of this tuber available throughout the world and the one that I see in Indian and Chinese stores in the U.S are pretty bigger than their Indian counterparts.
  • Firstly wash and clean these tubers and put them, along with the skin  in to the pressure cooker. Add salt and a little tamarind water and steam for about 7-8 minutes without weight.
  • When the steamed tubers are cooled, peel away the skin and cut them in to little cross sectional rings and place them to dry on a plate. Set aside for a few minutes.
  • Sprinkle salt on the arbi rings. In a little cup mix the red chilli powder, turmeric, besan, rice flour, and hing to form a powder. Add a pinch of Sambar Powder for added spice!!
  • Sprinkle this powder on the colocasia rings and allow a few minutes for it to stick.
  • Now take a non stick kadai and add 3 spoons of oil. When hot, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing and immediately the part steamed pieces of colocasia.
  • Add some more salt or chilli  powder, if you need to at this point. Mix well and cover and cook on a low flame.
  • Add a little spoon of oil now and then so that the tubers dont burn. Keeo stirring the mixture carefully so all parts of the colocasia get cooked and also take care that they dont break.
  • In about 20-25 minutes they will be nicely done. Switch off and transfer to a serving bowl.
  • If you still want the roasted effect, spray a little oil, and pop it in to the oven at BROIL for 2 minutes alone.
  • Enjoy Delicious and crispy Sepangkizhangu/Arbi Fry with Vendekkai Sambar and Tomato Rasam.
Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Kathirikkai Podimas – Eggplant/Brinjals sauted in oil and coated in curry powder.

Shoba3 Comments

Brinjals are an all time favorite and render themselves to be cooked in a hundred different ways. It`s always been a pleasure for me to cook with good tender brinjals as they get done in minutes. I always pick up tender tiny brinjals from the Indian store or better still, use the Japanese Eggplant.  You can make Yennai Kathirikkai, Kathirkkai Podimas, Brinjal Pepper Kuzhambu , Kathirikkai Curry with  minimalistic masalas, vangibath, baingan bartha, baghara baingan, and Kathirikkai Poricha Kuzhambu. Each of them take a different taste because of the way they are concocted. My husband  loves the way, brinjals are cooked slowly over a medium flame and slathered with the mix of roasted spices. It`s also a favorite among my friends and a regular addition to all potlucks and get-togethers.

Brinjal Podimas.
Brinjal Podimas.

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjals/Eggplant            – Medium (10-12) or 1 Big Japanese Eggplant.

Salt

Hing

Seasoning:

Mustard, Oil, Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves.

ROAST IN OIL:

Boiled Rice          – 3 spoons

Bengal Gram      – 2 spoons

Dhania                  – 1 spooon

Red Chillis          – 4

Curry Leaves    – 3-4

Hing                      – A pinch.

PREPARATION:

  • Chop the brinjals in to slightly longer pieces as they cook very fast and you dont want them to get mushy.
  • Slow roast the mentioned ingredients in a spoon of oil, allow to cool and grind them to coarse powder and set aside. You can proportionately increase the measurements two fold depending on the number of eggplants. Extra powder can always get stored in an air tight container doubly sealed with cling film to contain the freshness and aroma of the ground powder.
  • Pour 2 spoons of oil in a kadai, season with mustard , urad dhal and curry leaves and throw in the chopped brinjal pieces.
  • Add salt, turmeric and hing and cook on medium flame for about ten minutes till the brinjals are cooked well.
  • Switch off stove and add ground powder for flavouring.
  • Garnish with chopped cliantro and serve HOT with Lemon rasam or Spinach Morkuzhambu.