Colocasia / Arbi / Taro root / Chamadumpa fry

Colocasia / Arbi / Taro root / Chamadumpa fry

So many names for a simple plant! It is another easy vegetable to cook and tastes good when eaten hot on cold winter days.
Colocasia leaves and the root tuber are eaten in many in various forms in many countries. In India too the leaves are used to make tangy curries or fritters while the root also can be used to make tangy tamarind curries (pulusu), stir fry and fritters or bajjilu.
The root tuber is starchy as the potato, but is a little different in texture. It also has a stickiness to it when it is cooked or boiled.
I like Chamadumpa as it is something different from the usual potato. I like to cook it simple, just with a pinch of turmeric, salt and chilli powder or with talimpu (tempering) and onions. It tastes good any way.

Ingredients:

10 boiled and peeled Taro root, chamadumpa, colocasia, or Arbi and chop them round
1 small onion chopped lengthwise
3-4 green chillies slit lengthwise
1-2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

For Tempering:

1 tbsp Channa daal
1/2 tbsp urad daal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera
2-3 red chillies
5-6 curry leaves
a pinch of hing (optional)

Method:

Boil and peel the tubers. Just make sure that they are not mushy. Chop them in rounds.
In a pan, heat oil, add channa daal, urad daal. When they brown, add the mustard seeds and jeera. When they splutter, add the red chillies and curry leaves. Add turmeric and chilli powder and cook for few seconds. Add the chopped tubers and add salt. Stir everything till properly mixed. Fry them till they brown.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy it hot with rice or chapathi. :)

Tip: You can boil or not boil the taro root. If the tuber you have are small, the try it without boiling them. You might have to cook them for a little while longer till they are cooked on the pan.
If they are big and thick, then try by boiling them for a litlle while, but not till they are mushy. I boiled them in the microwave, cooled them and peeled them.