Kachur Futkuri

Kachu (Taro, Arvi) is a very popular vegetable of East Bengal. Interestingly, each and every part of the vegetable is edible. But it’s important to remember that any part of the plant is inedible when raw and considered toxic due to the presence of toxic crystals.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro

Makes/Serves: 5 to 6 Servings

Ingredients:

·      Bunch of Stems of Taro, Kachu in Sylheti/Bengali, Arvi stem in other parts of India)

·      Handful of Small Shrimp, dried (Chingri /Icha Shutki ) or raw or cooked

·      Small piece ofTamarind

·      ½ onion paste

·      ½ tsp turmeric   powder

·      1tsp chili powder

·      ½ tsp aamchur   powder

·      salt

·      2tbsp oil

·      Coriander leaves

Method:

·      Peel the Kachu stems and cut in inch pieces.

·      Boil the stems in water with a little tamarind till they are tender.

·      Drain well and mash (I like to keep it solid) stems.

·      Fry the small dried /cooked shrimps* and keep aside

·      Heat oil in a pan and add onion paste and salt and fry until onion oozes out all the water

·      Add Turmeric powder, Chili Powder, and Aamchur powder and fry for a couple of minutes.

·      Add the mashed stems and mix well and cook over medium heat stirring all the time for 10 minutes.

·      Add the fried shrimp and cook for 5 more minutes.

·      Garnish with Coriander leaves and remove from heat.

Recipe Credit: From my GrandMa’s Rasoi

Cook Tip: *If using raw shrimp, stir-fry the shrimp with a pinch of Turmeric, added Chili Powder and Salt. Remember, the toxin in Taro, is minimized by boiling and draining the water prior to cooking especially with a piece of tamarind.