Arbi Fry, Cheppankizhangu Varuval Tamilnadu Style Arbi Fry Recipe

My mom never cooked Cheppankizhangu at home. I became a fan of Cheppankizhangu varuval during my years at Manju auntie’s place . Cheppankizhangu fry is a dish loved by everyone. Its meaty and crisp and goes so well with a simple south Indian lunch of lentil and rice. The first time I made this after marriage, me and Vinod were left with an irritating throat. Later on I learnt from auntie that if this vegetable is not fully cooked, it can cause intense discomfort in the throat. The vegetable is boiled and then fried. So that’s the word of caution.

Here is the video of Arbi fry, Cheppankizhangu Varuval Tamilnadu style Arbi fry Recipe

Soak the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi in water for 10 minutes and wash them thoroughly to get rid of sand. Cook the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi in lots of water (4-5 cups) in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Drain the water. Peel the skin of Cheppankizhangu / Arbi. The skin should peel off easily. It might be slightly slimy. Note that the veggie is now fully cooked and soft. It should not be mushy. Slice the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi. Set aside.

Now, we will be marinating the cooked veggie with a masala paste. Make a masala paste with turmeric, salt, chilli powder and coriander powder. If you want a very crispy arbi fry, add a tablespoon of gram flour (besan) along. This is optional but makes for a fantastic crispy arbi fry. Use couple of table spoons of water to make a thick paste. Don’t make the paste too thin. The paste should be thick. Use water with caution. Apply the paste gently to the boiled, peeled and cut Cheppankizhangu. Make sure the masala paste is evenly coated on the vegetable. Add 2 sprigs of curry leaves on top. Let it marinate for 10 minutes. Set aside.

Traditionally Cheppankizhangu is deep fried. But I am used to pan frying and a non stick pan works well for this recipe. I have found that any other kind of pan completely makes the veggie stick to the pan while roasting. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the marinated Cheppankizhangu. Fry in low flame for 10 minutes until the vegetable is completely dry and roasted.

Remove off heat. Serve with rice.

For the Masala Paste

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
• 1 tablespoon gram flour (optional)

Other Ingredients

• 500 grams Cheppankizhangu / Arbi
• 3 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1. Soak the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi in water for 10 minutes and wash them thoroughly to get rid of sand. Cook the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi in water in a pressure cooker for exactly 3 whistles. Wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Peel the skin of Cheppankizhangu / Arbi. Cut it into two or three pieces. Set aside.
2. Make a masala paste with turmeric, salt, chilli powder and coriander powder. Use couple of table spoon of water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste gently to the boiled, peeled and cut Cheppankizhangu. Add 2 sprigs of curry leaves on top. Let it marinate for 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the marinated Cheppankizhangu. Fry in low flame for 10 minutes until the vegetable is completely dry and roasted.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

For the Masala Paste

• 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
• 2 teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 sprigs Curry Leaves
• 1 tablespoon gram flour (optional)

Other Ingredients

• 500 grams Cheppankizhangu / Arbi
• 3 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1. Soak the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi in water for 10 minutes and wash them thoroughly to get rid of sand. Cook the Cheppankizhangu / Arbi in water in a pressure cooker for exactly 3 whistles. Wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Peel the skin of Cheppankizhangu / Arbi. Cut it into two or three pieces. Set aside.
2. Make a masala paste with turmeric, salt, chilli powder and coriander powder. Use couple of table spoon of water to make a thick paste. Apply the paste gently to the boiled, peeled and cut Cheppankizhangu. Add 2 sprigs of curry leaves on top. Let it marinate for 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan and add in the mustard seeds. Let it crackle. Add in the marinated Cheppankizhangu. Fry in low flame for 10 minutes until the vegetable is completely dry and roasted.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/cheppankizhangu-fry-cheppankizhangu-varuval-tamil-recipe/

This is my moms Keerai recipe and has just 5 ingredients. Its the easiest to do and the most tastiest. The onions give the Keerai a nice richness. My mom used to make this almost twice or even thrice every week when we were young. Arakeerai, Siru Keerai or even Palak works well for this recipe. Keerai, rice and a dollop of ghee will make your everyday lunch special. My son loves it too. We call it as Kadaintha Keerai / Kadanja Keerai in Coimbatore.

Clean the greens and remove the hard stems. If you are using palak, you can use the stems too. Soak the greens in lots of water for 15 minutes to get rid off the sand, dirt and pesticide residue if any. Then wash it well changing the water twice. Remove the greens from the water and set aside.

We will be using 3 onions and 10 cloves of garlic for this recipe . Believe me, its not a lot of garlic and onions. Onions and garlic combined with spinach gives the dish amazing taste. It also makes the dish so smooth and rich. Heat oil in the pan and add in the onions, garlic, green chillies and the salt. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown. About 4-5 minutes on medium flame. Add in the washed and cleaned greens and fry on low flame for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it to cool.

Grind the mixture in a mixie / blender without adding any water to a fine paste.

Serve hot with steaming rice and ghee.

• 1 teaspoon sesame (gingely) oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 Green Chillies
• 10 Cloves Garlic
• 3 Onions, roughly chopped
• 250 grams Keerai, Spinach

1. Clean the greens and remove the hard stems. Soak the greens in lots of water for 15 minutes to get rid off the sand, dirt and pesticide residue if any. Then wash it well changing the water twice. Remove the greens from the water and set aside.
2. Heat oil in the pan and add in the onions, garlic, green Chillies and the salt. Fry till the onions are soft and starting to brown. About 4-5 minutes on medium flame. Add in the washed and cleaned greens and fry on low flame for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it to cool.
3. Grind the mixture in a mixie / blender without adding any water to a fine paste.
4. Serve hot with steaming rice and ghee.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu