DISH NAME : CHEMBU ASTHRAM (TARO ROOT CURD CURRY)

Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Description

Chembu is taro root or colocasia and is a starchy root vegetable.Chembu asthram is a typical Kerala dish that is served as part of an offering, along with kanji (rice gruel), muthira puzhukku (horse gram stir-fry) and mango pickle, during kumbha bharani festival in Chettikulangara, (Alapuzha) Kerala. onut oil. Preferably smaller size (tender ones) taro is prefered, though bigger ones can also be used. In earlier days, taro root was grown in almost all the households.

Note

1) After taro is cooked, do not stir much with spoon as it will be mashed.
2) Do not use too sour curd.
3) If curd is not beaten well, it will curdle.
4) Do not boil after curd is added.
5) This curry is usually cooked in mud or earthenware vessels. Do not use aluminium vessel as curd will react with aluminium.

Method

1) Peel and cut taro into big cubes.
2)Boil taro with, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and water till cooked. Taro should be cooked as after adding curd it will not cook further.
3) Grind all the ingredients given under to grind with very little water or with the given amount of curd, to a fine paste.
4) Add this to the curry and let it simmer. do not let it boil. when bubbles start appearing at the edge of curry, put off fire.
5) For tempering, heat coconut oil. Add mustard and when it splutters, add rest of the tempering ingredients. After shallots turn golden, pour this over the curry and keep closed for 10 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with rice.