Arbi kebabs in hot and sour Tomato sauce

Losing someone almost always helps us get a perspective back on our life...We look for a deeper meaning in what we do, make more resolutions on how we want our life going, reach out to people that we perhaps, at some point, have taken for granted, do things that we have always wanted to, but postponed for another day...

I know, that in the last week, I have tried to reach out to my friends, who are always there for me, but with our own busy schedules, we just haven't made time to catch up...



From what I can remember, the thing that really got Raji / Miri and me bonding was, not surprisingly, food ! We spoke so much about cooking, food, recipes and I was so glad I met someone who loved cooking as much as I did...

A friend of Raji's sent across a beautiful poem, which would have really been what Raji would have wanted after she was gone. This is how the poem ends...

"Love does not die, people do.
So, when all that's left of me is love,
Give me away as best you can"

Here's another one from the set of recipes that she gifted me...Miss you my dear Miri...

Here, the kebabs are more like cutlets. The original recipe says the kebabs need to be deep fried. Since the arbi was already mushy, I could imagine the amount of oil it would guzzle up, so I rolled these in semolina and then shallow friend them in a pan. Less oil and still, great taste, so worked well for me

Arbi in hot and sour Tomato sauce

What you need -

250 gms Arbi / taro root / colocasia
1/2 cup shelled and boiled peas
1 onion chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies
1" piece ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp besan / chickpea flour
salt to taste
1/2 cup fine rava / sooji / semolina

For the sauce

4 tomatoes / 200 ml ready tomato puree
2 tbsp butter
1 onion finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp clove powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
salt to taste

What you do with it -

For the sauce -
Slit the tomatoes at one end and blanch in hot water
Cool, peel and blend to a puree
Heat butter, add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and chopped onion and saute till brown
Add the chilli powder, cinnamon powder, clove powder and pepper powder
Add the tomato puree and salt and cook for 5 mins. Keep aside

For the kebabs -
Boil, peel and mash the arbi
Pound the ginger and green chillies to a paste
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds, onions and ginger-chilli paste
Fry till onions turn brown
Add the besan, chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt
Add the mashed arbi and the cooked peas and mix well
Cool the mixture and then roll into kebabs
You can deep fry these or roll the kebabs in semolina and shallow fry them in a pan

To serve, spoon out the sauce in flat dish and then arrange the cutlets / kebabs over it. Spoon out some more sauce on the kebabs. Garnish with some cream and coriander leaves