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It looks a bit like really fat ginger with a thick, muddy skin, but when peeled, this veggie is always white in colour. Starchy like potatoes, it absorbs flavours like only root vegetables can. We are talking about arbi or colocasia roots of course! Arbi is quite the autumn and winter favourite across Indian households, and for good reason too. Arbi is typically harvested during autumn, which means now is the time when it will start flooding the market.
Packed with earthy flavours, arbi is a great source of dietary fibre, carbohydrates, minerals and a few vitamins too. A versatile ingredient, arbi can be used to cook everything from boiled dishes and stews to fries and snacks. What’s more, each and every region of India cooks its own arbi dishes loaded with local and traditional flavours especially during the colder months. If this doesn’t make arbi dishes a must-have during autumn season, then what will?
If you are all set to try new arbi recipes this autumn and winter, then get ready for a feast of dishes. Here are all the Indian arbi recipes you can whip up for autumn meals.
Video Credit: YouTube/Hebbars Kitchen
Arbi Masala
A spicy North Indian treat made with chopped colocasia roots, onions, tomatoes and lots of whole and powdered spices, this sabji goes really well with rotis and parathas. The chopped arbi are cooked with cumin seeds, chopped onions, tomatoes, green chillies, red chilli powder, ginger, garlic, turmeric powder, garam masala and more to get a delicious curry. Many people like this sabji dry, while others add a bit of water to get a thick gravy.
Arbi Gosht
A popular North Indian meat-and-veggie curry, this dish calls for mutton and colocasia roots that are stewed together. Sliced onions and whole spices like bay leaves, cloves, cumin, cinnamon, etc are first fried together in oil or ghee, then mutton and arbi are added in along with powdered spices and water. You can either slow cook this mix until done or pressure cook it to perfection, and then enjoy it with naan, paratha, roti or rice.
Ghuiya Ki Sabji
This Western Indian arbi recipe is a variation of arbi masala and what makes it stand out is the use of asafoetida. Along with cumin seeds and dry red chillies, asafoetida is added in the tempering, then ghuiya or arbi chunks are cooked without onions and garlic to create a delicious arbi dish that can be enjoyed with a variety of flatbreads. You can also add tomatoes to this dish if you like.
Arbichi Bhaji
This Maharashtrian arbi dish is crispy, dry and enjoyed with fresh jowar or whole wheat rotis. The arbi are sliced thinly and then fried with onions, cumin seeds, green chillies, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, garlic and garam masala. Many people add a bit of besan or gram flour and peanuts to make this dish extra-crunchy.
Arbi Ka Kofta
Since arbi is starchy and absorbs flavours really well, you can easily make koftas with it for starters or a main course. All you need to do to make this Mughlai-origin dish is boil and mash the arbi and then mix in ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala, green chillies, coriander leaves and salt. Shape this mix into koftas and deep-fry them. You can then enjoy them as they are with chutneys or add them to a rich gravy to make Kofta Curry.
Arbi Chaat
This Delhi-style arbi chaat is a must-have on autumn and winter evenings. All you need to do is chop up the arbi, coat them with turmeric, salt, red chilli powder and garam masala and fry them to perfection. Then, lay out the fried arbi and top with yoghurt, pomegranate seeds, chutneys, sev and other toppings to make a droolworthy chaat.
Arbi Ka Halwa
Yes, you can totally make a scrumptious sweet dish with arbi! This North Indian winter favourite calls for grated arbi, which is cooked in a mix of ghee, cardamom powder, sugar and a dash of milk. Plenty of dry fruits, nuts and seeds can be added in to enhance the crunch factor of this sweet dish. You can not only enjoy this one as a dessert, but also pair it with hot puris for a different kind of treat.
