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Food talk
Arbi all the way
Get bowled over by arbi ka korma, says
Pushpesh Pant
 ARBI,
we feel, is a most unfairly undervalued root. Every time we encounter
it, we have been overwhelmed by its potential. Whether it is Vrindavani
dahi wali ghuiyaanor masale meinsookkhi bhuni, in its Awadhi
avatar as dabi arbi ka saalan, disguised in a vegetarian seekh
or as chunky pahari gutke tempered with aromatic jambu-Himalayan
chives or in chaat, we are reminded that this staple for the orthodox
during the days of prescribed fasting is the original alu-pindalu
a.k.a. ratalu and kachalu is the original swadeshi potato serving sons
and daughters of India faithfully till the new kid on the block
accompanying the Portuguese displaced it.
We keep tempering with
recipes tweaking them to favour this Cinderella. We are glad to report
that the experiment with arbi ka korma has passed the test with flying
colours. Try it out yourself.
If you only treat arbi
with the respect, and dare we say affection, it deserves, it will
return the sentiment manifold. Spend equal time selecting it at the
green grocers as you do for other seasonal, more expensive/exotic
vegetables and don’t be tempted to flavour with readymade
pre-packaged garam masala.
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Arbi
ka korma
Ingredients
Arbi 250 gm
Hung curds 2 tbsp
Bay leaf one
Cloves three
Brown cardamoms
two
Green cardamoms
two
A stick of
cinnamon ½ inch
Black peppercorns ½
tsp
Ginger-garlic
paste 1 tsp
Medium onion
(sliced very fine) one
Aromatic garam
masala
(preferably
prepared fresh) 1tsp
Kashmiri lal mirch
½ tsp
Whole red chilli
one
Salt to taste
Oil to shallow fry
A few drops of
mitha ittar or kewra essence
Method
Boil the arbi but
ensure that these are not mushy. Peal, prick carefully with a
toothpick and flatten a little by pressing between the palms.
Put oil in a non-stick pan and when it reaches smoking point,
reduce heat to medium and slowly shallow fry the arbi till these
are rich golden-brown in colour. Remove and place on kitchen
towels to remove excess oil. Glaze the whole chilli lightly in
oil and remove. Increase the heat to high and add the bay leaf,
along with whole spices. When these change colour, add the
onions and stir-fry till golden brown. Reduce the flame to
medium-low and put in the garlic-ginger paste. Stir-fry briskly
for 30 seconds and add powdered spices. Put the arbi in the pan,
turn gently once or twice to coat evenly with the spices stir-in
the whisked yoghurt mixed with a little water to avoid curdling
in a slow stream stirring constantly. Cover and cook on low heat
for about five minutes. Remove from flame, sprinkle ittar or
kewra essence and cover. Garnish with whole red chilli and serve
with phulka, purior plain parantha.
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