Koorkai Maikuvarrati | Chinese Potatoes Fry

Koorkai | Siru Kizhangu are known as Chinese Potatoes. We get these tuber roots normally around Makar Sankranti. Other times it is very rare to find these in our local market.

Koorkai Maikuvarrati is one great example of rustic tastes that is simple in its ingredients and cooking but nothing can beat them in terms of flavour!

I love this mainly for two reasons:
1. It tastes super duper..just like that!
2. It is such a lovely sight to see Amma Appa peeling the soaked Koorkai with occasional instructions from Amma! Appa will offer assistance on his own will when it comes to this activity!

INGREDIENTS

400 gms  Koorkai | Siru Kizhangu | Chinese Potatoes 

1/4 tsp Haldi | Turmeric Powder

A drizzle Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Water | approximately

1 tsp Oil | Chutta-Ennai

To taste Salt

METHOD

• Wash and soak Koorkai for an hour. Remove the skin and keep adding the peeled Koorkai to a bowl of clean water so that they do not change colour. In case the Koorkai is big, cut them to desired size. Wash peeled Koorkai twice under running water.
• In a vessel add the drained Koorkai and water. Water is just for cooking the Koorkai..hence it should be very little.
• Add salt and haldi. Mix well.
• Place the vessel on gas on high flame and when the water comes to a boil, reduce the flame to low.
• Drizzle a drop or two of coconut oil and mix well. This will enable the Koorkai to cook well.
• Stir occasionally. The Koorkai will appear firm but when pressed with fingers will mash up easily. That's when the Koorkai is cooked. Switch off the gas.
• Place a pan on low flame and heat oil.
• When the oil is hot, add the cooked Koorkai and mix well.....this is what in Tamil we call as Maikuvarrati - Maiku is oil and Varrati is roasting in the oil! To enhance the flavour, after 5 minutes switch off the gas.
• Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Serve Koorkai Maikuvarrati as a side dish along with Steamed Rice and any Moru Kootans  or Thaiyr Sadam | Curd Rice.

The taste for this sabzi is mainly from the Chutta-Ennai...oil which we have used once for frying any papad.

We relished this simple but flavourful Koorkai Maikuvarrati with Chembu Moru Kootan and Papadams.

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About C R Meena

(c) 2014 - 2016, Meena's Taste Mantra is the result of my ardent desire to share my recipes, with all who appreciate and celebrate food. These recipes are as a result of 60 years of cooking experience, influenced by tradition and exposure to various concepts, new recipes/ingredients and a passion for cooking - adapting to healthier alternatives.