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Ajwaini Arbi Tikka (Colocassia with carom seeds)

Arbi Tikka is a delicious way to cook the common colocassia root. They turn into spiced up, golden and crisp appetisers or a happy accompaniment with rotis.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 serving

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tsp ajwain coarsely crushed
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder (like degi mirch)
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp rice flour (for crispiness)
  • 1/4 cup coriander finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Using a scrubber, scrub all the mud off the arbi / colocassia under running water.
  • To pressure cook the arbi, place the arbis in a cooker vessel with a little water (1/2 cup or so), more water in the cooker, after two whistles, place on sim for 5 minutes. This should do to cook medium sized arbis without turning them to mush, in which case, you really cannot progress further.
  • One the cooker has cooled, open, and remove the arbi to a plate and cool for 10 minutes till comfortable to peel.
  • Once peeled, place them in a single layer in a large dish. With your palms or a wooden masher, lightly flatten each piece until oval / round, but not with so much force that it crumbles.
  • With a gentle hand, coat the spices over the arbi and let this sit for 15 minutes minimum. You could also refrigerate the dish covered with cling wrap until the time you want to shallow fry and serve.
  • In a cast iron or any suitable skillet, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil. Place the well marinated arbi pieces in a single layer. Let these acquire a golden brown crust on one side (takes around 7-10 minutes) after which turn them over and crisp up for 10 more minutes.
  • Serve hot with green chutney or a date tamarind chutney. We had it with store bought Date Tamarind Chutney (Kitchens of India, ITC) and it went superbly along with some slices of cool cucumber.

Notes

When you buy the arbi, try and choose the ones of a similar size so that they can cook uniformly.
A little note of warning: there are people who are allergic to some of these root vegetables, so please to check with your families if you are unleashing this fellow on them for the first time. If while handling this vegetable, your fingers itch, then you yourself may be allergic to this - anywhere from mild to severe.
Ajwain or omam / carom seeds is an excellent spice to counteract the bloating caused bu this root vegetable.
This is my entry to Meeta's Monthly Mingle - Bollywood Cooking.