Spicy Alvamande Songa / Colocasia Tuber Semi Dry Curry.

“Spicy Alvamande Songa / Arvi (Arbi/Colocasia tuber /roots) semi dry curry” ... A delicious side dish that is very tasty when served with Dalitoy~Rice or Roti ... so just happily sing a song and relish the songa ... Yummilicious ... 

** All those who follow my simple home cooked food blog are aware that “Songa” is a spicy Konkani Saraswat dish that I have posted many times in various combos before and also that it is prepared both in Veg and Non.Veg. ways. This is a dish with little masala that is spicy and can be prepared both with addition of ground masala or using just powders. I have always added in a little bit of freshly grated coconut while grinding the masala to get a better and thicker consistency to the masala and it tastes delicious too and that is exactly the way it is preferred in my home. Addition of tartness / tangy taste is necessary to the dish and the traditional dish is always prepared adding tamarind while grinding the masala. But then any veggie that imparts that taste can be substituted and added on to the curry. During monsoon hogplums are easily available so they are added on to the curry, while in town where plenty of bimbul (tree sorrel) or karmbala (star fruit), again a sour fruit is abundantly available and can be added on too. 

** I also many a times prepare this dish using Alvamande (Arvi / Arbi / Colocasia Tuber or roots) instead of potatoes which is the most sought after tuber for this particular dish. Batate Songa ie Potato dry curry is the most sought after dish in Konkani Saraswat and I do not think there is any home that does not prepare and relish this dish. In my home we love it  with any tuber added on. This curry is either served with Dalitoy~Rice as and accompaniment or with Dosa / roti etc. Again the most loved combo with this dish is shevai / home prepared string hoppers that is a hit in every home. My father loved the combo very much and in my Mother always prepared it whenever she prepared shevai. Alvamande or Colocasia tuber / roots are easily available throughout the year and are used in preparing many dishes. It is prepared using hing / asafoetida along with the gravy many a times. Songa is another dish that is prepared using the roots and tastes great. Try this out and relish with any side dish of your choice, they taste simply awesome. 

** Here is the link to the simple method for preparation of " Spicy Alvamande Songa / Arvi (Arbi/Colocasia tuber /roots) semi dry curry” … My Style …. 

** Ingredients : 

Alvamande / Colocasia Roots ~ Tuber : 500 gms. 

Coconut : ½ cup freshly grated. 

Kashmiri Red Chillies / Lal Sukhi Mirchi : 15-20. 

Coriander / Kothimbir / Dhana Seeds : 2 tsp. 

Tamarind / Imli / Chinchama : Small lemon sized. 

Onions / Piyav / Kanda : 2 large sized cut into 1 inch sized cubes. 

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder : 1 tsp. 

Mustard Seeds / Rai / Sasam : 1 tsp 

Curry Leaves / Kadipatta / Karbevu : 10-12 fresh ones. 

Salt to taste. 

Oil : 4-5 tblsp. 

** Preparing of Alvamande : Alvamande / Colcasia roots have a lot of mud sticking to their outer skin. So put them in water for 20-30 minutes, the mud clinging to the roots will be softened and easier to get scrubbed off. Remove as much as possible, then wash them in plenty of water till you run into clean water as you wash them. Wash and add into a pressure cooker with say approximately about 2 cups of water. Pressure cook to one whistle on medium flame. Let the pressure drop on its own. Once the pressure drops, remove the lid and allow to cool completely under running water. Gently peel off the skin and then slice them to rings of ½ inch thickness. Keep this ready aside. 

** Note : You can check of the collage of arvi pictures posted above for more info and proper knowledge of the same. 

** For the Masala : Grind to a fine paste grated coconut with red kashmiri chillies (Plus or minus as per individual taste), a small lemon sized tamarind and coriander seeds (fried in oil to light red color) with as little water as possible. Addition of more tamarind is done to remove the itchiness if any in Alavamande / Colocasia roots`tuber, so do add on the given amount, also since the curry is prepared spicy it is needed very much. Prepare the masala and keep it ready aside. 

** Now heat the oil in a thick bottomed kadai / pan, when hot add in the mustard seeds and when they begin to splutter add in the curry leaves, stir for a second and then add in the onions cut into large sized cubes. Stir on high heat for a minute and then lower the heat to medium, fry till the onions turn pinkish / translucent. Now lower the heat to minimum and add in the chilly powder and fry for a second, then add in the ground masala and fry on low heat for a good 3-4 minutes, ie till the masala is cooked well. You can add in some water, if you find that the masala is getting burnt. But do be careful with the water as the gravy is supposed to a thick textured one. 

** Note : Addition of chilly powder can be left out as the traditional recipes do not call for it. But adding kashmiri red chilly powder in oil always imparts a lovely color to the dish, so I make it a point to add it on. You may leave out the step if you do not like or need it as per your choice. 

** Now add in salt to taste, mix well and then add on the pressure cooked, sliced and kept ready Alvamande / Colocasia roots~tuber / Arvi and mix well. Be careful when you mix in the cooked alvamande as they are soft and tend to sometime break, so use a gentle mixing hand while doing so. Try to keep them intact as much as possible. Cook until you see bubbles oozing out of the curry. In Konkani we say “Samachi shirshiraiche”. Lower the heat, cover and cook for another 5-8 minutes, stirring often in between until well cooked in. Remove, cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes before serving for the curry to settle and seep in the flavors. 

** " Spicy Alvamande Songa / Arvi (Arbi/Colocasia tuber /roots) semi dry curry” is done and ready to be served. Check the consistency of the curry before serving, if you find that it is two thick you can add some hot water and mix well before serving as this curry tends to thicken quite a bit on settling. Serve the curry as an side dish with Rice-Dalitoy or roti. You can also serve this dish with panpole or roti too which tastes awesome. Do try out this awesome recipe and enjoy with your family and friends. Do leave a comment below, It really helps in knowing if you have liked the same. 

** Note : Hogplums (Ambado) /Star Fruit (Karmbala) /Tree Sorrel (Bimbu) can be substituted instead of tamarind to the curry if they are available in your vicinity. Again You have a choice of adding on tomatoes too if you like them. Both ripe or raw tomatoes can be added on to the curry. You just need to chop them to medium sized cubes and add them on once the onions are fried and let cook till 75% done before you add in the cooked alvamande. Rest recipe remains same. 

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