Achari Arvi (Taro Root in Pickled Spices)
History n Origin of Arvi
The English term taro was borrowed from the Maori language
of New Zealand when Captain Cook first observed its plantations in 1769.
Arvi (Taro) is thought to be native to Southern India and
Southeast Asia, and most probably have originated in India, Nepal, and
Bangladesh. It spread by cultivation eastward into Southeast Asia, East Asia
and the Pacific Islands; westward to Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean Basin;
and then southward and westward from there into East Africa and West Africa,
where it spread to the Caribbean and the Americas.
This vegetable was probably the first native to Malaysia and its lowlands, where it is called taloes.
It is one of the most ancient cultivated crops. It is
found widely in tropical and subtropical regions of South Asia, East Asia,
Southeast Asia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia
People usually consume its edible corm and leaves. The
corms are roasted,
baked, or boiled. The natural sugars give a sweet, nutty flavor. The starch is
easily digestible, and since the grains are fine and small it is often used for
baby food. Young taro leaves and stems can be eaten after boiling twice to
remove the acrid flavor. The leaves are a good source of vitamins A and C and
contain more protein than the corms.
In its raw form, the plant is toxic due to the presence of
calcium oxalate, and the presence of needle-shaped raphides in the plant cells.
However, the toxin can be minimized and the tuber rendered palatable by
cooking, or by steeping in cold water overnight.
Corms of the small, round variety are peeled and boiled,
then sold either frozen, bagged in their own liquids, or canned.
Myth
One mythological version of Hawaiian ancestry cites the taro
plant as an ancestor to Hawaiians. Legend joins the two siblings of high and
divine rank: Papahānaumoku ("Papa from whom lands are born", or Earth
mother) and Wākea (Sky father). Together they create the islands of Hawaii and
a beautiful woman, Hoʻohokukalani (The Heavenly one who made the stars).
The story of Kalo begins when Wakea and Papa conceived their
daughter, Hoʻohokukalani. The daughter and father then conceived a child together
named Hāloanakalaukapalili (Long stalk trembling), but it was stillborn. After
the father and daughter buried the child near their house, a Kalo plant grew
over the grave:
The stems were slender and when the wind blew they swayed
and bent as though paying homage, their heart-shaped leaves shivering
gracefully. And in the center of each leaf water gathered, like a
mother’s teardrop.
The second child born of Wakea and Hoʻohokukalani was named
Hāloa after his older brother. The Kalo of the earth was the sustenance for the
young brother and became the principal food for successive generations. Now, as
man continues to work the wetlands for this sacred crop, he remembers
Haloanaka, the ancestor that nourishes him. The Hawaiian word for family,
ʻohana, is derived from ʻohā, the shoot which grows from the Kalo corm. The
reason being: as young shoots grow from the corm of the kalo plant, so people,
too, grow from their family.
Equation:
Required Ingredients:
- Arvi (Peeled and cut into circular slices) 1 Kg.
- Oil 4-5 Tablespoons
- Button Chilies 4-5 or to taste
- Salt to taste
- Nigella Seeds 1/2 Teaspoon
- Fenugreek Seeds 1/2 Teaspoon
- Carrom Seeds 1/2 Teaspoon
- Mustard Seeds 1/2 Teaspoon
- Dried Raw Mango 4-5 pieces
- Lemon Juice 2-3 Tablespoons
- Red Chili Flakes as per taste
How to cook:
- Peel and cut the Arvi in medium thickness round slices, wash in warm water thoroughly.
- Apply some oil on your hands before cutting or peeling because this vegetable has some skin irritants which may cause itching in your hands.
- As the Arvi leaves some moisture out of it and to avoid that put the peeled Arvi in salt water for 10 minutes and then put them into the normal floor and wash with water.
- Heat oil in a pan for about 3-4minute and then put in button chilies, Fenugreek seeds, Cumin seeds, and Rai Dana, stir for about a minute, and then add the Arvi slices.
- Add salt, red chili flakes, Carrom seeds, and Kalonji. Cook for about 10-12 minutes on medium heat.
- Now add dried raw mango slices and lemon juice and cook till Arvi becomes tender.
- Put on the lid tightly and lower the flame to make steam.
- Garnish with fresh Corriander leaves and Julien cut ginger.
- Enjoy with Naan or Chapati.
