Arbi Ki Sabji is a spicy, soupy colocasia root tomato-based curry minus onion and garlic. Best served with hot puris or paratha. There are many reasons why I love this arbi curry, but most of all because it is such a great wholesome meal that tastes good, has excellent texture and requires few essential ingredients. I guarantee your family will love this easy-to-make and utterly delicious gluten-free arbi curry.
Did you know? Arbi or Taro root is an edible tropical plant that is widely consumed all over Asia. Often touted as a high source of carb and fiber, (and compared to a potato), this vegetable is almost as versatile and can be used in anything from curries to fries. Arbi is sometimes called the itchy-potato because of the itchiness one feels in their throat soon after eating this. Once cooked the right way, arbi is super delicious and itchiness will be the last thing on anyone’s mind.
In South India, a popular version of colocasia roots is a deep-fried dish tempered with asafoetida and spices. It tastes delicious with tomato garlic rasam or flavorful mixed vegetable sambar. Now that I’m in Chennai, I fully intend to try my hands on the local version of the dish and share the recipe with you all soon.
Some vegetables taste better fried, and some feel better in a light and spicy curry. And there are those that taste as good regardless of how you cook them. One such vegetable is the versatile arbi or colocasia. For our everyday meals, I often prepare Punjabi Arbi Fry Masala, and on days when we need a comforting curry for dinner, arbi ki sabji comes to the rescue. Either way, it tastes delicious. I know some of you believe onion and garlic to be the holy grail spices of Indian cooking and cannot imagine a dish without both of these together. Trust me; this curry recipe is here to bust those myths for good.
A good curry is the very epitome of comfort. Curries and an excellent accompaniment are indeed a match made in food heaven. I love Indian cuisine for the variety of curries it has to offer. And I often find myself drawn to a real comforting regional curry from time to time like this one.
It’s pretty simple to make a tasty arbi ki sabji that too without any onion or garlic. All you need to make a delicious curry base with tomatoes, ginger, and seasoning of cumin, asafoetida, throw in the sliced lightly fried colocasia roots, let it all simmer away on your stovetop till it’s ready to dig in.
To plan festive fasting meal, the recipe like arbi curry always come handy. For a wholesome sattvic dinner serve arbi ki sabji with kuttu (buckwheat flour) ki puri, pomegranate raita, and vrat ki kheer. That meal is just en route to a stage called food coma. At times it is hard to believe that the simplest of dishes come together to create such a delightful meal experience.
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Learn How To Make Arbi Ki Sabji Without Onion/Garlic:
Arbi Ki Sabji Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 gram arbi (colocasia root)
- 5 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1/4 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 medium-size tomato (blend to make paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 - 2 green chilli, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh coriander to garnish
Instructions
- Wash, pat dry, clean and peel the arbi. Cut it into round slices of equal size. Set aside till required.
- Next, 4 tablespoon of heat ghee in a heavy bottom kadhai/pan.
- Fry the sliced arbi over medium-heat till tender and a bit crisp in texture. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat remaining one tablespoon of ghee.
- Add cumin seeds, carom seeds, asafoetida, and grated ginger. Fry for few 10 - 20 seconds.
- Next, add the tomato paste and fry it nicely over low heat till oil starts separating from the masala.
- Now, add the fried arbi slices and mix nicely in the tomato masala. Fry for 4 - 5 minutes.
- Add the spices, salt, green chili and approximately 1/2 Cup of water. Reduce the heat to low and allow the curry to simmer covered for next 10 - 15 minutes.
- Garnish arbi ki sabji with fresh coriander leaves.
- Serve arbi ki sabji with puri or paratha.
Recipe Notes:
- It is usually best to wash colocasia roots a few hours before chopping so that they do not remain slimy to touch.
- Nicely, pat dry the roots before peeling and slicing.
- While slicing the arbi make sure it is not too thick otherwise it will take a longer time to get cooked.
- If you are not too keen on frying the arbi, you can simply boil it in a pressure cooker for one or two whistles, peel, and slice. Then add to the masala prepared.
