Koorka fry recipe with step by step pics – easy, tasty and simple Chinese potato fry recipe.
Chinese potatoes are not easily available where I live. I am pretty much fond of these tubers, that my mom got them all the way from Kerala. In Mumbai we would get koorka easily from the Kerala shops. So this stir fry recipe I am sharing today, would most of the times be made as a side dish with sambar or rasam. Another recipe I make with them is this Koorka curry recipe.
Koorka has such a distinct flavor of its own and I feel they taste better than potatoes. Just my feeling. Though, I also like potatoes, but Chinese potatoes always wins over for me. I am not sure what they are called in other languages. Wikipedia informs me that they are also known as native potato or country potato in africa.
Koorka is not slimy like arbi (colocasia roots) nor does your hand itch when you peel them. It has a firm texture when cooked. This is how the koorka or Chinese potatoes look.
Sometimes there is a lot of mud covering the koorka. So you have to really rinse well and scrape off the mud. we always pressure cook koorka and then saute it. This method works for us and one which we find easy to follow.
This is a simple recipe and uses less ingredients so that the flavor of the koorka comes through. Serve this Kerala style koorka stir fry as a side dish with sambar rice, theeyal rice or even just with plain rice. You can also have with chapatis.
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koorka recipe
Ingredients
- 250 grams chinese potatoes (koorka) - about 1.25 cups boiled and chopped kurka
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder for steaming or boiling (haldi)
- ¾ cup sliced or chopped pearl onions or sambar onions or shallots or ¾ cup chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
- 2 to 3 dry red chilies (sookhi lal mirch) - broken and deseeded
- 1 sprig curry leaf or 8 to 10 curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 2 to 3 tablespoon grated coconut
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil, preferably or use any other oil
Instructions
cooking koorka
- Steam or cook the chinese potatoes like the way you cook potatoes, in a pan or steamer till they are tender and cooked well. In a pan it takes about 10 to 12 minutes. In a pressure cooker, cook for about 2 whistles.
- Once they become warm or cool down, peel and chop them. Keep aside.
making koorka fry recipe
- In a pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and saute till they crackle.
- Then add ¾ cup sliced pearl onions/shallots or ¾ cup chopped onions, 2 to 3 dry red chilies, 8 to 10 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Stir very well.
- Saute till the onions turn translucent.
- Then add the steamed and peeled kurka or chinese potatoes.
- Add salt. Stir and saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
- Lastly add fresh 2 to 3 tbsp grated coconut. mix and saute for a minute.
- Serve koorka fry as a side dish with sambar-rice, dal-rice. You can also have with chapatis.
Preparation to make koorka recipe
1. Steam or cook the Chinese potatoes like the way you cook potatoes, in a pan or steamer till they are tender and cooked well. In a pan it takes about 10 to 12 minutes. In a pressure cooker, cook for about 2 whistles.
2. Once they become warm or cool down, peel and chop them. Keep aside.
Making koorka fry
3. In a pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and saute till they crackle. Coconut oil gives a good flavor. In case you do not have coconut oil, then you can use any other oil.
4. Then add ¾ cup sliced pearl onions/shallots or ¾ cup chopped onions, 2 to 3 dry red chilies, 8 to 10 curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida.
5. Stir very well.
6. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
7. Then add the steamed and peeled kurka or Chinese potatoes.
8. Add salt.
9. Stir and saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame.
10. Lastly add 2 to 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut.
11. Mix and saute for a minute.
12. Serve koorka fry as a side dish with sambar-rice, dal-rice. You can also have with chapatis.
I just bought it from big basket .. Online grocery store.. Shall try it out..
thats good. do try out.
Wonderful recipe. But where to find koorka potatoes.
you will only get them in kerala shops if you stay in mumbai or pune. otherwise i am not sure where they are available in other indian cities, except kerala.
Nice one..Will try this soon..
Sharing one of the nostalgic recipes of koorka for keralites – It is a must that this has to be made in iron kadai…when done, it will have a blackish color and a distinctive taste.. peel the koorka, cut roughly and cook in just enough water, salt, slit green chillies and turmeric powder. When all the water is absorbed and koorka is fully cooked, add coconut oil generously and let it get roasted for a few mins, stirring in between. Finally, add some curry leaves..:)
thanks anu for sharing this point and also the recipe which sounds yum. i can imagine cooking in an iron kadai 🙂
I love koorka that I won’t wait for the lunch time… I would complete my half of the portion once I finish them cooking. I use to stir fry them in coconut oil adding little salt and turmeric and some green chillies.. I will try your version once I get them near my home…. Thanks for sharing as always.
its my favorite too. i always like to add some coconut towards the end. and of course coconut oil simply add a lot to this simple dish.