Chinese potato is commonly known as koorka or kooka. These are tiny tubers, with deep brown skin, unlike potato. Otherwise, it looks like baby potatoes. It is a less known, neglected vegetable and tastes good with a very little seasoning or additives. It is high in nutritional value and carbohydrate.
Ingredients:
Chinese potato – ½ kg
Salt
Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds -1 teaspoon
Urad dal – 1 teaspoon
Hing – ¼ tsp
Dried Red chillies – 2
Curry leaves – 2 strings
Onion – 1/2 ( chopped)
Tamarind – 1/2 tsp (soak it in a tbl sp of water)
Turmeric – ½ teaspoon
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Jaggery – ½ teaspoon
Grated coconut – 2 tablespoons
Method:
-Soak Chinese potato for 20 minutes, it will help in cleaning as well as while peeling the outer skin.
-After washing, peel outer skin by scraping it and keep immerse in water.
-Chop like a match stick and immerse it in water to avoid blackening.
-Now take a thick vessel, add little water, turmeric, salt, jaggery and boil. Add drained kooka pieces and cook in low heat, until it is firm and soft.
-Now, proceed with the seasoning. Take one Kadai, heat 1 a spoon of coconut oil, splutter mustard, add urad dal, hing, broken red chillies, onion and fry for 2 min.
-Add cooked kooka, red chilli powder, little tamarind water, freshly grated coconut and fry for a while.
-Lastly, add 1 tsp of raw coconut oil, curry leaves, mix everything, close the lid and keep this for 2 to 5 min on a low flame.
-Flavour of Raw coconut oil and curry leaves would give a nice aroma to this side dish. Enjoy hot rice and dhal topped with ghee.