Arbi Curry | Arbi Masala

Arbi Curry or Arbi Masala recipe is a tangy and spiced curry made with taro roots or colocasia roots. This is an easy and delicious curry recipe and tastes so good. You can make the curry during the Hindu fasting (vrat) or on non-fasting days.

About Arbi Curry

This Arbi Curry is a light North Indian style curry that I make sans onion and garlic. It is made in a base of ground tomato pureed with some spices. The recipe is basic but tastes delicious. The tanginess of the tomatoes pairs nicely with the earthiness of the taro roots.

We keep the curry consistency medium, but according to your preferences, you can make it slightly thick or a bit thin. Also, feel free to make the curry spicy or moderately spiced. My recipe is less spiced. Like mentioned above, this is a satvik recipe made without onion and garlic like all Hindu fasting or vrat recipes.

For the taro roots, you need to prep them first. You have to cook them until tender but not mushy. These colocasia roots can be cooked in a pressure cooker, in a pan on the stovetop or in an Instant pot.

I cook the taro roots in a pressure cooker, adding water just about covering them. Do remember to rinse the roots thoroughly in water to get rid of the dirt and mud.

If while peeling the cooked arbi, you see a yellow colored portion, then discard it. If the entire root looks yellow, then trash it.

During our fasting days, I usually pair this Arbi Masala with some Vrat ke Chawal (Barnyard Millet) or with Vrat ka Paratha  – flatbreads made from buckwheat flour. You can also have it with other fasting breads like Rajgira Paratha or Singhare ki Poori or Rajgire ki Poori.

On non-fasting days we serve this Arbi Curry with roti/paratha or a steamed rice. We also make the same curry with potatoes. So if you do not have or get taro roots, you can make the same curry with boiled potatoes.

If you like arbi then do check these recipes of Arbi Sabji and Arbi Fry.

Step by Step Photo Guide Above

Arbi Curry | Arbi Masala

Author: Dassana Amit

5 from 4 votes

Arbi Curry or Arbi Masala is a light North Indian style curry made with colocasia or taro roots in a base of pureed tomatoes, spices and herbs.

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings3

CourseSide Dish

DietGluten Free, Vegan

CuisineNorth Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Main ingredients

• ▢ 10 to 12 colocasia roots or taro roots (arbi)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
• ▢ 2 tablespoon oil
• ▢ 1 to 1.5 cups water or add as required
• ▢ salt as required
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped or chopped mint leaves

For making tomato paste

• ▢ 3 tomatoes – medium-sized, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 green chili
• ▢ 1 inch ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

Instructions

Cooking taro roots

• Rinse the taro roots thoroughly in water and remove the mud or soil clinging on them.
• In a 3 litre pressure cooker, cook the taro roots in water covering them from top for 1 to 2 whistles on medium heat until tender and softened.
• When the pressure falls naturally, then only open the lid of the cooker. Drain the water and set aside the cooked arbi to cool.
• When warm or cool, peel the skins and cut the taro roots in to 2 or 4 pieces vertically.
• Blend or grind all the ingredients mentioned under the heading above "For making tomato paste to a fine and smooth consistency.

Making arbi curry

• Heat oil. Add the carom seeds and fry them on low heat.
• Then add the ground or blended tomato paste.
• Stir and add all the ground spice powders one by one.
• Fry the tomato paste till the oil separates. This will take about 6 to 7 minutes.
• Then add water, rock salt (if making for fasting) and the boiled arbi pieces. For a slightly thicker consistency, add less water.
• Simmer for some 6 to 7 minutes till the curry becomes smooth and thickens a little bit.
• Garnish with mint or coriander leaves and serve Arbi Masala hot with any flat bread or steamed rice.

Notes

• Remember to rinse the taro roots thoroughly. 
• You could steam or boil the taro roots in a pressure cooker, in a pan on the stovetop and in the Instant Pot adding water as needed.

Nutrition

Serving: 3g | Calories: 428kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 877mg | Potassium: 1959mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1336IU | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 0.3mg | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 0.1mg | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2mg | Vitamin B6: 1mg | Vitamin C: 29mg | Vitamin E: 11mg | Vitamin K: 14µg | Calcium: 144mg | Vitamin B9 (Folate): 70µg | Iron: 3mg | Magnesium: 110mg | Phosphorus: 267mg | Zinc: 1mg

This Arbi Curry from the blog archives first published in October 2012 has been updated and republished on December 2022.