Koorkka Olathiyathu/Chinese Potato Stir Fry

Koorkka or Chinese Potato is yet another favorite of most Keralites.I don’t think it is popular outside Kerala.It is almost similar to potato but very much smaller in size and much better taste.The cleaning is a tedius process ,it is time consuming and can stain the hands,too. Malayalee’s  love for this tiny tubers is well taken by Sathyan Anthikkad in his movie ‘Achuvinte Amma’.I still remember the heroine(Meera Jasmine) asking her mother (Urvashi) : “Ammakku aarenkilum koorkkayil kaivisham thannittundo?Eppol nokkiyalum oru koorkka….” (Why its always koorkka here?…..Did someone give you a voodoo in koorkka?)

Read more about Koorkka here.Koorkka can be prepared in various ways,out of which my favorite is this simple stir fry.

Recipe follows:

Ingredients :-

Chinese Potato(Koorkka) cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces – 2 cups
Shallots -5 big
Red Chilly Flakes – 1 tsp or Red chillies broken – 4 or 5
Garlic – 1 big clove
Curry leaves – 1/2 sprig
Green chillies slit – 2
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Coconut pieces(Thengakothu) – 1/4 cup
Salt- to taste
Oil – as needed

Method:-

After washing properly,scrape the skin of each koorkka and immediately immerse it in water to prevent them from changing into a dark brown color.Wash them again and cut them into bite size pieces and put them back into the water.Drain the water and immediately add the koorkka into the cooking pan (or pressure cooker) along with salt,turmeric powder and green chillies.Add around 1/4 cup of water ,cover it and cook until it is well done.You can add more water as and when needed.If using a pressure cooker cook it till one whistle.Drain any left over water and keep the koorkka aside.

Crush the shallots,red chillies and garlic together using a mortar and pestle or chop them finely.Keep them aside.

Now heat oil in a pan,add the crushed ingredients,curry leaves and coconut pieces.Fry them for a while and add cooked koorkka into it.Stir fry it for 10 mts in a medium heat or until it turns dry and slightly brown.Serve hot with rice.