COOKING TARKARI

Tarul or yam is one of the most popular and healthy vegetables consumed in Nepal. Its importance increases during the Nepali month of Marg when it is boiled and eaten on the first day of the Magh (on the festival of Maghe Sankranti). It is eaten together with sweet potatoes, chaku and different varieties of laddus made especially for that day. It is also used as a holy offering to the god during the festival.

It can be boiled and eaten with salt or can be cooked as a vegetable. The yam curry or theTarul ko Tarkari or yam curry is one of the popular and desired curry in most of the parts of Nepal. One of the many ways of making Tarulko Tarkari is given below:

Ingredients:

Diced tarul, diced potatoes, diced tomatoes, green peas or dried beans (majhi bodi), fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, thyme seeds, asafetida (hing), bay leaves, green Chili,jimmu, powdered spice, crushed or grated ginger, salt to taste, oil for cooking and coriander for garnish.

Procedure:

First of all, heat the pressure cooker and add oil to it. When the oil is heated, splatter fenugreek, thyme and cumin seeds and when the seeds start crackling, add bay leaves, green chili and jimmu and fry for about ten seconds. Now, add potatoes and tarul pieces and fry for few minutes. Then add the diced tomatoes, salt and the regular powdered spices and fry for additional two to three minutes. Now, add a little water and press it. After two to four whistles, open the lid, add ginger and coriander leaves and remove it from the heat. Serve your Tarulko Tarkari with steamed rice or roti