Colocasia roast from Tamil Nadu (Cheppangkizhangu roast)

Taro root is common in India; the entire plant is rized. The tuber is most commonly used in stir-fries or curries, but the leaves and stem are also used in dishes. The tuber is a great substitute for potatoes and is often mistakenly used as a low-calorie diet option, which it is not. One of the most common ways this tuber is enjoyed is as chips, dusted with salt or chili powder. They are very crunchy and delicious.

This is a simple stir-fry dish, but one that pops with spices. The dish has two textures, a soft tuber and a crunchy outer spice crust, the lentils and seeds cracking with each bite. The mellowness of the taro root is enhanced by the spices. This is a lovely side dish, one that is welcome on any table.

Southern Flavors is another cookbook from Chandra Padmanabhan that I adore. The recipes vary across the southern states of India, and each turns out very well. The recipes, like this one, are authentic and wonderfully flavored. This cookbook is for those who want to go beyond the ordinary and enjoy very localized cuisines from the South.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the colocasia:

1 lb colocasia root, peeled, cubed into bite-sized pieces, and submerged in water

6 cups of water

For the Spice powder:

1 tablespoon split, husked black gram (urad dal)

1 tablespoon split Bengal gram chana dal)

1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 dried red chilies

A pinch of asafoetida

For the Temper:

4 tablespoons of oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon split, husked black gram (urad dal)

1 tablespoon split Bengal gram chana dal)

2 dried red chilies

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

A pinch asafoetida

15 curry leaves

Salt, to taste

Method:

For the colocassia:

Add the colocasia and water to a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the colocasia is very soft. Drain and set aside to cool.

For the spice powder:

Individually dry roast all the ingredients in a dry frying pan. Cool completely. Grind to a fine powder in a spice mill. Set aside.

For the temper:

Heat the oil in a wok or wide pan on low heat. Add the mustard seeds; they will pop in 10 seconds. Add the black gram, Bengal gram, chilies, cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves, in order, and give the ingredients a quick stir. Add the Spice powder and salt and fry for 1 minute. The spices must be cooked to remove the raw flavor, but be careful not to burn them.

Add the colocasia root and toss well to coat it in the spices. The spices must form a crust around the pieces.

Serve immediately.