Pages

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Koorka mezhukkupuratti

I was always under the impression that Koorka is available, cooked and relished only in Kerala. So, imagine my surprise when I found heaps of Koorka at the Koyambedu market, which by the way, happens to be South Asia's largest fresh produce market!!!
It looked like I was the only person interested in buying this veggie, though.....the price was cheap and I came back home and set to work on the koorka almost immediately.
Now, cleaning the koorka and removing its skin is no easy task....but the end result is almost always rewarding enough.
Wash the koorka in plenty of water several times. It is usually very muddy and it will take several changes of water before you can clean it. Use a scraper to remove the skin. My mother used to put the koorka in a sack , wet it with water and then beat it on the ground to remove the skin. I don't have the luxury of space to do that. So I use the scraper, even though it is much more time consuming.
Once you've removed the skin, wash it again. If the koorka is small enough, use it as is...if not, cut into small pieces. Pressure cook it with enough water along with salt and turmeric powder until about 3 or 4 whistles. Once the steam settles down, drain the excess water and set aside.
Heat some coconut oil in a kadai.......transfer the koorka to this and stir fry for a few minutes so that the koorka turns slightly brownish and crisp.
This veggie has a unique taste of its own and does not need any other ingredient to make it more flavorsome.
Serve hot with rice and any koottan of your choice.

After some googling, I found out that koorka is called chinese potato in English.
I did take pics of the dish, but it is very blurred...so am not posting it here.
This is my first entry to RCI-Kerala hosted by Jyotsna of Curry bazaar.

11 comments:

Seena said...

Jay,
Yeah, koorkka nannakkal aanu enikkum problem. have seen mom covered fingers with piece of cloth while removing its skin. I really like its taste..

Rajitha said...

has been so long since i have had koorka..

Srivalli said...

ehmm...now you got me curious to know what this means..I googled and that has made me even more confused as there wasn't any closer picture!..

Seema said...

Koorka - we call it Kook in Konkani.. love this potato. Ita a very tasty one...cleaning is a big headache.. i know.. my granny would put it in a cloth bag & bang on the floor to get all dirt out & then sit & scrap with a knief.. gets your fingers really messy... but the end result of curry - yum yum!! I am jealous of you.. we never get it here!

DK said...

Koorkka!!!! whats that?

Jayashree said...

Seena, nannakkal ithiri padayalum athinte taste beats everything else.
Rajitha, me too had it after a long time.
Sri, it's avlbl in Chennai right now....looks like arbi.
Seema, so it's not just mallus who are fond of this veggie.
DK, it's a really really tasty tuber...called Chinese potato in English.

Unknown said...

HI, You can make the cleaning processs a little easier if soaked in water for sometime

Unknown said...

It is easier to clean if boiled in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.

Unknown said...

You can clean it very easily by cooking in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.

Unknown said...

It is easier to clean if boiled in the pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.

xpl0iter said...

Anything made by koorkka is simply tasty. I just love it.
Btw Can you make some guest posts on my blog. I have a blog @ http://indianrecipesforall.com .
Your recipes are simply awesome, and I would like atleast one of them in my blog!