Colocasia (Eddo) Chips - Birla Balika Vidyapeeth Pilani Style - Free From Onion, Garlic and Tomatoes
Tali Arvi
Making Arvi chips is a trip down the memory lane for me. When I was young girl in India, they were made once a week at my boarding school at Birla Balika Vidya Peeth, Pilani, Rajasthan. This was one dish there was never enough of, they always use to run out! On the day chips were made, everyone was on time for dinner. If you were late, you didn't get any! We used to do swaps with girls who didn't like them, offering them lucrative exchanges! It is simple to make a quite tasty. I wonder if they still make them!
Serves 4
Recipe edited January 2023
There are many varieties of colocasia corm around the world; eddo, dasheen, elephant's ear, West Indian kale, coco-yam and colocasia. Some varieties contain oxalates which can cause irritation of the skin and tongue and should be avoided. The tuber has light brown, horizontal rings, dark and light, all along its surface and a white or cream or light pink flesh.
Ingredients
- 500 gm. colocasia or arvi tubers
- Oil for deep frying
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. chilli powder
- A good squeeze of lemon juice or a sprinkle of amchoor/mango powder
- Other spices or spice mixes and herbs can be added.
Instructions
- Wash Colocasia tuber well. If there is too much soil on them, use a brush to get rid of it.
- Boil the tubers in their skin, until they are just beginning to 'give' a little when pressed. You can do this either a pan of salted water or in a microwave steamer. I mostly boil them in a microwave steamer these days, it is much easier and faster; cook at full power for 6-7 minutes. Then check, they should 'give' a little when pressed. If still hard, steam for another 3-4 minutes.
- Cool.
- There should not be any water left on the skin when you peel, or they will get slimy and difficult to handle.
- Slice into fingers/chips/halves. If edoes are small, halving them is enough.
- Heat oil in a wok or karahi.
- 'Slide in' the slices gently into the oil.
- Fry until golden brown and crisp. This may take longer than potato chips/fingers.
- Drain on a kitchen paper.
- Sprinkle salt chilli powder and mix gently to coat on all sides. They can also be served without salt and chillies/spices, so that everyone can choose the amount of salt/chilli they want.
- Serve immediately on their own or with Coriander, Mint, Mango/Apple Green Chutney (Chatni) or Tamarind (Imli) Chutney or Sauce or Ketchup.