Taro Root Spicy Side Dish (Kale Alva Maddi Sukke, Bon)

I’ve heard quite a few of my relatives say in the past one week, that they have to empty this season’s taro root glut before the colocasia tubers start to go bad. I’m sure most Konkani homes have atleast 1-2 colocasia tubers waiting to be used. And you would have already had enough of shallow fried and deep fried taro root by now. That's Konkani’s love for colocasia tubers! :-) And if you’re bored of maddi phodi, then here’s a good old, delicious Konkani side dish you can make out of colocasia tubers. It’s called bon or kale alva maddi sukke in Konkani. 

A spicy side dish that is made using colocasia tubers. I know it looks like a big mush in the photo above, but I bet that’s the best mush you’ll ever eat. Colocasia tubers are super starchy and on cooking they soon turn into a mush. And that’s how this dish is prepared. By cooking colocasia tubers in a spicy coconut masala until they get super soft and mushy. It is a pleasure to eat this dish as is or with steaming hot rice and dalithoy. Don’t be surprised if it tastes just like kadgi chakko. Give this traditional Konkani dish a try you haven’t. Here goes the recipe for bon/kale alva maddi sukke:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of peeled, cubed colocasia tuber
• 3/4 cup of grated coconut
• 1 lemon sized tamarind
• 5 dried red chillies
• 1 teaspoon of urad dal 
• 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
• Salt to taste
• 2 leaflets of curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 tablespoons of oil

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 35 minutes

Preparation Method:

Prepping colocasia tuber:

1. Peel the colocasia tuber, cut it into slices and then chop them into cubes.

2. Then wash the cubes without bringing your hand in contact with colocasia tuber. Once colocasia tuber comes in contact with water, it’ll give you itchy hands. So, wash the tuber after you chop it.

Apply tamarind water, lemon juice to your hands before chopping the colcoasia tuber to prevent itching. Best way to prevent itching is to wash the tuber without touching it with your hands and then strain the water using a strainer. In case you get itchy hands, apply tamarind water/lemon juice to your hands to stop itching. Apply tamarind water/lemon juice, leave it for 5 minutes and then wash it off.

If the colocasia tuber isn’t fresh and has dried off a little then the chances of you having itchy hands is very less. :-)

3. Pressure cook them with salt and 1 cup of water for just one whistle. They otherwise tend to overcook.

Preparing the masala:

1. In a tempering pan or skillet, heat about 1.5 tablespoons of oil and add urad dal, coriander seeds into it. 
2. Then add in dried red chilli broken into pieces and fry them until the urad dal starts to brown. 
3. Remove it off heat and let it cool completely.
4. Once cooled grind it along with grated coconut, tamarind and a little salt into a smooth paste using as much water as required. 
5. Keep this ground masala aside.

Bringing the dish together:

1. Heat remaining oil in a skillet, add in mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add in curry leaves and let them sizzle for few seconds.
2. Then add in ground masala and mix well. 
3. Check and adjust salt.
4. Then add in cooked colocasia tuber and mix well.
5. Add little water if required. We need a dry sukke/side dish in the end.
6. Let it simmer until the masala is cooked through and it’s rawness goes off. And until you get a dry side dish, in which the colocasia tuber has blend in well with the masala.
7. Remove the dish off heat and serve it hot with steaming hot rice and dalithoy. 

Side Note: Traditionally colocasia tuber cubes are cooked in the wok itself after the seasoning. They are pressure cooked these days to make sure they cook uniformly. As some tubers tend to remain raw without pressure cooking.

Other colocasia tuber side dishes:

Crispy, shallow fried colocasia tubers in spicy side dishes (Maddi tambut, maddi adgai, maddi koot)

Shallow Fried Colocasia Tuber (Maaddi Phodi)

Taro Roots Fritters (Kaale Alvaa Maddi Phodi)

Find more Konkani cuisine side dishes here. 

Tags: Colocasia tuber, taro root, maaddi, kale alva maddi, kale alva maddi sukke, bon, Konkani dish, Konkani recipe, Konkani cuisine, GSB Konkani recipe, vegan, vegetarian recipe, South Canara Konkani recipe, Konkani cooking, GSB Konkani cuisine.