Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





What is this Vegetable?

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On 06/01/2011 01:01pm, azelias kitchen wrote:

hi all

Does anyone know what this vegetable is?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/57951131@N07/5329601511/

I found it in my Turkish greengrocers who gets in for his Indian customers but doesn't know what it's called.

It's as long as your thumb doesn't smell of anything and texture is similar to potato. Apparently according to the grocers he has been told that this root is fried.

thanks in advance.

On 06/01/2011 02:01pm, Rajneesh wrote:

Looks like some variety of Yam?

On 06/01/2011 02:01pm, Mamta wrote:

This is a colocasia tuber, it is quite delicious. It is a little slimy when boiled and peeled but fine once the water evaporates. I have a few recipes here on site, try colocasia chips or Dum ki arvi, both very tasty. It is one of my husband?s favourite vegetable. We use its leaves also, which you can buy from Indian grocers, for making Patoras, type of pakoras.

Hope this helps.

Mamta

On 06/01/2011 03:01pm, azelias kitchen wrote:

Hi Mamta I just did a google and it doesn't look the same to me, the root you mention appears to be fatter and has ridges on the outside...unless there are varieties of the same thing such as persimmons.

I'm going to ask the grocer to ask next time someone buys them...I helped him out so he owes me one ;)

On 06/01/2011 04:01pm, Mamta wrote:

It is the same, the skin has been scrubbed off, that is all. There are many varieties, just as in potatoes, slightly different sizes, plumpness, shapes; http://www.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-GB%3Aofficial&biw=1600&bih=677&tbs=isch%3A1&sa=1&q=colocasia+wikipedia&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai= . It is similar to edoes, but not the same. The one you show is not the best example, it is quite old and orry looking one, with skin washed off, but it is colocasia. I have known it (arvi) all my life, it is a popular root vegetable in India.

Also see; http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=arvi&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=oPAlTf2CKoyKhQe_kuGRAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CDgQsAQwAg&biw=1600&bih=677

Sorry, the links don't work, you will have to copy and paste.

On 07/01/2011 10:01am, azelias kitchen wrote:

Thanks Mamta for the links...yes I can see how they would be varieties such as any other vegetables/fruit.

On 07/01/2011 10:01am, Rajneesh wrote:

Oh i see, yes it is common in India, my mother used to make special pakoras with its leaves folded in besan and fried??pressure cooked??. Very tasty - crispy on the outside and succulent inside.

On 07/01/2011 11:01am, Mamta wrote:

Rajneesh, I am not sure if you are Gujarati, because Gujrati version of Patras, or Patoras as we call them in Uttar Pradesh, is slightly different from mine, link in post 3 above. They are not difficult to make and they freeze quite well.

On 09/01/2011 09:01pm, Raj-V wrote:

hi azelias kitchen. i have used this multi-lingual glossary to get ingredients that i know the hindi name for but not english name. hope this helps you. just posting for your reference.

http://www.tandooricookingexpert.com/blog/tag/multilingual/

On 10/01/2011 01:01pm, azelias kitchen wrote:

hi Raj-V

thanks for that link...I will have a look through later when small child asleep!

On 28/01/2011 10:01am, azelias kitchen wrote:

just to confirm Mamta I got the answer from my grocer on what that vegetable was and it was taro and I gather that's the same as colocasia or at least the same family!

On 28/01/2011 01:01pm, Mamta wrote:

Great!

If you look under my glossary (drop down menu from Advice button above), it is described thus; Arbi or Arvi=Colocasia, Taro, Elephant ear, Eddo, Dasheen

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