Pidaluko tarkari

Pidalu or taro is one of the most popular and healthy vegetables consumed in Nepal. It is consumed especially on Rishi Panchami on the Nepali month of Shrawan. It is combined with potatoes or green peas or dried peas or tama (bamboo shoot) for a better taste according to desire. Sometimes, also the taro leaves are used together with it, however, most of the time, it is cooked without the leaves.



The taro curry or the Pidaluko Tarkari is one of the popular and desired curries in most of the parts of Nepal. One of the many ways for making Pidaluko Tarkari is given below:

Ingredients:

Diced tarul, diced potatoes, green peas or dried beans (majhi bodi), fried tama (bamboo shoot), fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, thyme seeds, asafetida (hing), bay leaves, green Chili, jimmu, powdered spice, crushed or grated ginger, salt to taste, oil for cooking and coriander for garnish.

pidalu

Photo credit: weallnepali.com

Procedure:

First of all, heat the pressure cooker and add oil to it. When the oil is heated, splatter fenugreek, thyme and cumin seeds and when the seeds start crackling, add bay leaves, green chili and jimmu and fry for about ten seconds. Now, add potatoes and tarul pieces and fry for few minutes. Then add salt and the regular powdered spices and fry for additional two to three minutes. Now, add a little water and press it.

In another pan, heat some oil and when the oil is heated, add some bottled tama (bamboo shoot) into it. Fry the tama until it turns light brown, remove it from the oil and keep it in a plate. Switch off the heat.

After two to four whistles, open the lid, add the fried tama, add ginger, coriander leaves and a little water and bring it to boil. Remove it from the heat when the desired consistency of the gravy is achieved. Serve your Tarulko Tarkari with steamed rice or roti.