Arbi fry recipe with step by step photos – Spiced colocasia or taro roots fry for the Navratri festival. Arbi is also called as Seppankizhangu in the Tamil language.
One more simple and easy recipe for the fasting season made with arbi. Colocasia or arbi is again one of those ingredients that we use during religious fasting.
Colocasia, yam and sweet potato are better alternatives to potatoes, when fasting and also if you have got bored with potatoes :-). They make a good addition to the fasting menu.
Substitutions you can make
- If you don’t have dry mango powder then you can use lemon juice instead of it.
- If you don’t have carom seeds then you can use cumin seeds.
This arbi fry can be had hot or warm as a side dish, snack or even with Rajgira paratha along with some green chutney or curd. I served along with Vrat ki khichdi (samvat rice or barnyard millet khichdi).
How to make Arbi Fry
1. Rinse 250 grams arbi very well in fresh water. Make sure you have removed all the dirt or mud clinging to them.
Then place them in a 2 litre pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water. Pressure cook arbi for 2 to 3 whistles or for 8 to 10 minutes on a medium heat.
2. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only remove the lid from the cooker. Check the doneness of the arbi. A knife should easily slid through the arbi. If not, then pressure cook for 1 more whistle.
3. When the arbi cools down or becomes warm, peel and slice them in ¼ to ⅓ inch rounds. Keep aside.
Making Seppankizhangu Fry
4. In a small pan, heat ½ tablespoon of peanut oil. Add ¼ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds).
If making for regular days (non-fasting days) then instead of peanut oil you can also use coconut oil or sesame oil or sunflower oil.
5. Saute the carom seeds for some seconds till fragrant on low heat. Make sure not to burn them.
6. Then add the peeled and sliced arbi.
7. Stir and mix the arbi with the rest of the ingredients.
8. Continue to stir and saute for 3 minutes on a low heat.
9. Then add the following spices: ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper, ½ teaspoon cumin powder and 1 small green chili (chopped).
If using red chili powder, then you can add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder.
10. Stir and mix the spices with the arbi.
11. Season with edible rock salt as required.
12. Then add ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder). Instead of dry mango powder, you can also add ½ teaspoon dry pomegranate powder (anardana).
Another option is to add some lemon juice.
13. Stir and mix very well.
14. Saute and flip each piece to get an even roasting and browning of the arbi slices.
15. Switch off the heat and lastly add 1 tablespoon of coriander leaves or mint leaves.
16. Stir and Serve arbi fry hot or warm as a side dish with Samvat rice khichdi or Samvat rice pulao or Kuttu ke parathe or rajgira paratha or rajgira poori.
If you are looking for more Navratri recipes then do check:
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Arbi Fry | Seppankizhangu Fry
Ingredients
- 250 grams arbi (taro or colocasia roots or seppankizhangu)
- 2 cups water for pressure cooking arbi
- ¼ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper or ⅓ teaspoon black pepper powder (kali mirch powder)
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder (jeera powder)
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur) or dry pomegranate powder
- 1 small green chili chopped or ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ tablespoon peanut oil (moongphali ka tel)
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves
- rock salt (edible and food grade) (sendha namak) as required
Instructions
boiling arbi
- Rinse 250 grams arbi very well in water. Then place them in a 2 litre stovetop pressure cooker. Add 2 cups of water. Pressure cook the arbi for 2 to 3 whistles or for 8 to 10 minutes on medium flame.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, then onlu open the lid and check the doneness of the arbi. A knife should easily slid through the arbi. If not, then pressure cook for 1 whistle.
- When the arbi cools down or become warm, peel and then slice them in 1/4 to 1/3 inch rounds. Keep aside.
making arbi fry
- In a small pan, heat peanut oil. Add ajwain (carom seeds).
- Saute the carom seeds on low heat for some seconds till fragrant.
- Then add the sliced arbi. Stir and mix the arbi with the rest of the ingredients.
- Continue to stir and saute for 3 minutes on a low heat.
- Then add the following spices – crushed black pepper, cumin powder, 1 small green chili (chopped). If using red chili powder, then you can add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder.
- Stir and mix the spices with the arbi. Season with rock salt as required.
- Then add dry mango powder. Instead of dry mango powder, you can also add dry pomegranate powder.
- Stir and mix very well.
- Saute and flip each piece to get an even roasting and browning of the arbi slices.
- Switch off the heat and lastly add chopped coriander or mint leaves.
- Stir and serve arbi fry hot or warm as a side dish with samvat rice khichdi or samvat rice pulao or kuttu ke parathe or rajgira paratha.
Notes
- The recipe can be scaled as per your needs.
- If making this dish for regular non-fasting days then you can use sesame oil or coconut oil or sunflower oil instead of peanut oil. Also you can use regular salt instead of edible rock salt.
- For a non-vegan version, you can use ghee if you prefer.
- Make sure to clean the taro roots thoroughly so that all mud clinging to the roots is washed away.
- Instead of dry mango powder, you can add lemon juice.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Arbi Fry Post from the blog archives, first published in October 2015 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
I over boiled the arbi and it’s become like a potato mash after sautéing. Should I throw it away?
No need to throw it away. Even if the arbi has turned soft and mashy, you can still use it. You could make arbi tikki (arbi patties) or arbi kebabs, arbi ke kofte in a curried gravy, arbi bharta or chokha.
Thank you! Will keep that in mind if it happens again! We just ate it like a mash – was mostly tolerable haha.
Haha, glad you made it work! I’m happy the suggestions helped, and hopefully next time it turns out just right. Enjoy your cooking!
Thank u so much for a wonderful recipes…ur recipies help me to impress my in-laws…thnx a ton..Hi..I also make Khatte vali arbi..first boil arbi in a cooker for abt 2-3 whistles…after sumtym peel it and cut it into slices..then add chopped onion ,tomato,green chillies..u can also add cucumber ..and then all the spice powders ..salt ,little bit kaali mirch,dry mango powder,coriander powder,Garam masala,ajwain,jeera..after mixing it evenly..add imli water ..boil imli and also add sugar in dat water ..to give it a khatta meetha flavour..then add the imli ka pani in the arbi and mix it evenly…then put it into the fridge…it is served chilled with pranthee..or u can use it as a salad..ur big fan-inderpreet Kaur..
welcome inderpreet and thank you. also thanks for sharing the khatti arbi recipe. i have noted it down and will give a try. khaata meetha taste will be yum and i am sure the recipe will be a hit 🙂
It’s awesome! We love it.
thankyou so much anuradha 🙂
Hi ms.Dassan. its amazing receipes I happened to know n easy to make. Especially, oilless snacks are useful.
Regards, mamatha ..
thankyou so much mamatha 🙂 and you are welcome.
Awesome recipe******
thankyou Neha 🙂
very nice
thankyou sunila 🙂
I have tried the recipe given by you they are awesome, different and good in taste .liked your recipes ,so would suggest to give more option in different ways during navratri fast .
thanks mamta. all the recipes i usually make are posted under this category – https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/fasting-recipes/
i do not do a lot of experimentation in food and keep things simple during navratri, so that i am able to spend more time in praying and meditating on devi maa. not that i get time always, but i try to 🙂