Taro root / Arbi fries

 Back home, my mom often made arbi fries, and I can remember how quickly those would be gone. I can’t always find taro root in the grocery stores in the US, and often its a bit expensive, but every once in a while, I do get some to revisit those childhood memories.

 

Ingredients:

3 medium size Arbi / Taro roots

Oil for shallow frying

For Marinade: (The amount of the spices used can be varied to taste. I like my food less spicy, so its typically heavier on coriander powder than garam masala, chili powder etc. Feel free to experiment with the spice mix.)
½ tsp oil

2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

⅛ tsp turmeric powder

¼ tsp red chili powder (not chili seasoning)  - optional

salt

Wash the arbi and steam it until tender but not mushy. This can be done in a pressure cooker, microwave, or a steamer.

Peel and slice the arbi. The thickness of the slices is up to you -  the thinner the slices, the more crispy the outcome will be. I sliced them about an eighth of an inch so that I had a crisp exterior but a nice soft interior to bite into.

 

Mix all the marinade ingredients and toss the slices. Mix until well coated. It works best if you use your hands and rub the marinade onto each slice.

 

Heat a little oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the slices to the pan in a single layer. Cook for a minute or two until browned on one side, then flip and cook the other side similarly. Repeat till all slices are done.

 

If you have any fries left after they are done frying (these are very hard not to snack on while the next batch is frying), serve them warm as a side with a meal or just as a snack.

 

~Gayatri

 

Note: I believe other starchy roots like jicama could be used for this as well, but I haven’t tried that yet.