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You are here: Home » Vegetable

Published: Dec 9, 2022 by Saima · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases · This blog generates income via ads.

Arbi Fry (Colocasia Fry)

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Arbi fry in a plate with onion rings, green chillies, lemon wedge, and roti.

Arbi fry or arvi fry is a vegan Indian stir fry made with taro root, also known as colocasia. The arbi is coated in spices and shallow-fried with fenugreek seeds and curry leaves to make a simple side dish that pairs well with roti and dal.

This dry aloo sabzi is a lot like arbi fry but made with potatoes instead.

Arvi fry in a bowl

What is arbi or arvi?

Arbi is a starchy root vegetable called colocasia or taro root in English. It is a popular vegetable in India and is usually cooked with a few spices and herbs to make arbi fry.

The taro root is boiled, the skins are peeled, and then the softened flesh-coloured root is pan-fried to make a tasty sabzi. It's crunchy on the outside and soft inside and goes perfectly with a simple dal and roti, those staples of north-Indian cuisine.

I prefer to buy the Indian arbi available in most Indian groceries as it is smaller in size and more tender than the bigger ones found in most supermarkets. Of course, you can buy these too if you don't have access to an Indian store...I just buy the smaller ones as a matter of personal preference and taste.

Raw arbi or taro root in a bowl.

Ingredients

Note: exact amounts are mentioned in the recipe card further down.

Labelled ingredients for arvi fry.

How to make arbi fry

1. Wash the raw arbi under running water. Then, boil arbi until tender and peel the skins. The skins will slide off if the arbi is cooked properly. Finally, cut the peeled arbi into halves, lengthwise. It will be slimy because of all the starch, but don't worry, that's the way it is supposed to be. The sliminess will go once it is fried.

Note: I use my instant pot to pressure cook the arbi, but you can also use a saucepan on the stovetop.

Instant pot: Put the raw arbi in the steel insert of the pot and cover it with water. Secure the lid and make sure the steam release vent is sealed. Pressure cook for 3 minutes on high pressure. Once the pot beeps, wait for 5 minutes before releasing the steam and opening the pot.

Stovetop: Fill a saucepan with water and let it come to a roiling boil. Add the raw arbi and turn down the heat to medium. Cook for 12-15 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a fork inside one or two pieces. If the fork goes through easily, the arbi is tender.

Boiled, peeled, and halved arvi or taro root in a bowl.

2. Put a sturdy frypan on your stovetop and add the cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add the methi or fenugreek seeds. Let them sizzle and turn brown.

3. Add the arbi and immediately follow with the powdered spices, salt and curry leaves. To make sure the spices coat the arbi evenly, mix them together in a small bowl, then sprinkle all over the arbi halves.

4. Fry for 4-5 minutes or until the arbi turns crispy. Flip if needed and fry for a couple of minutes more. That's it! Your arbi fry is done!

Arvi fry in a frying pan.

Top tips

  • Choose small-sized arbi only. Don't go for the very large ones as these can take a long time to cook and can be fibrous.
  • The fenugreek and curry leaves give a wonderful aroma to the arbi, so try not to skip these. Both are easily available in any Indian grocery.
  • Make sure the arbi is tender before frying it in the pan. However, you don't want mushy arbi that will break if you try to fry it. The best way to check if it is done is to insert a fork into one or two pieces. If the fork goes in easily, the arbi is tender enough.

Serving suggestions

Serve arbi with a simple dal and rice or roti. This moong dal recipe goes very well with it, as does dal fry.

For the rice, you can make plain boiled rice or cumin rice.

More vegan Indian sabzi recipes

The following recipes are dry preparations, i.e., without much sauce. Different vegetables pair up mostly with potatoes (sometimes solo), to make 'sabzi' as it is known in the subcontinent. All of them are quite delicious! If you are new to Indian food, do try a couple to see what sabzi is all about:)

  • Aloo palak (potatoes and spinach)
  • Aloo patta gobi (potatoes and cabbage)
  • Aloo shimla mirch (potatoes and capsicum/green peppers)
  • Mixed vegetable curry (dry)
  • Bhindi sabzi (okra stir fry)
  • Aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower)
  • Beetroot sabzi
  • Bombay potatoes
  • Baingan bharta (eggplant mash)
  • Bharwa shimla mirch (stuffed green peppers)
Arvi fry in a plate with roti, onions rings, green chillies, and lemon wedge.

📖 Recipe

Arvi fry in a bowl.

Arbi Fry

Saima Zaidi
Arbi fry is a vegan Indian stir fry made with taro root. It is coated in spices and shallow-fried with fenugreek seeds and curry leaves to make a simple side dish that pairs well with roti and dal.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Brunch/Lunch, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people
Calories 326 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Instant pot or medium saucepan
  • 1 medium frypan
  • 1 silicon spatula

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1.1 lbs taro root Indian arbi, colocasia
  • ⅓ cup cooking oil
  • ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds methi
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp mango powder amchur/khatai
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 10 curry leaves kadi patta
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Instructions
 

  • Wash the raw arbi under running water. 
  • Instant pot method: put the arbi in the steel insert and cover with water. Cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. When timer beeps, wait 5 minutes before releasing steam.
    Stovetop method: Fill a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Carefully put the arbi into the water and turn down the heat to medium. Allow to cook for 12-15 minutes or until tender.
  • Once the arbi cools down, peel and cut into halves, lengthwise.
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan and add fenugreek seeds. Let them sizzle and turn brown.
  • Add the arbi and immediately follow with the powdered spices, salt and curry leaves. To make sure the spices coat the arbi evenly, mix them together in a small bowl, then sprinkle all over the arbi.
  • Fry for 4-5 minutes or until the arbi turns crispy. Flip if needed and fry for a couple of minutes more. Serve hot with roti and dal or salad.

Notes

  1. Choose small-sized arbi only. Don't go for the very large ones as these can take a long time to cook and can be fibrous.
  2. The fenugreek and curry leaves give a wonderful aroma to the arbi, so try not to skip these. Both are easily available in any Indian grocery.
  3. To check for tenderness, insert a fork inside the cooked arbi. If it does not meet with resistance, the arbi is cooked. 

Nutrition

Calories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 2gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 606mgPotassium: 825mgFiber: 6gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 344IUVitamin C: 55mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 1mg
Keyword arbi fry, vegan Indian sabzi
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Hi, I'm Saima! I live in Alberta, Canada with my husband and twin boys. Here, you'll find Indian recipes with fresh, natural ingredients and easy, no-fuss cooking techniques. Welcome to my blog!

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