Sopurkooka ukkari is a seasonal dish as ‘Sopurkook’ is not available in all seasons. ‘Sopurkook’ in Konkani means Chinese potato and in Malayalam means ‘Koorka’. ‘Ukkari’ in Konkani means a dry dish prepared by adding chili powder. No coconut is added to this dish. Not even onions or garlic have been added. It is a simple and easy dish prepared in a short time. It is set as side dish along with rice. In some homes it is prepared during Janmashtami day.
Ingredients
You need
- 1/4th Kg of Sopurkook
- Salt to taste
Seasoning
You need
- 2 tbspn of coconut oil (Coconut oil preferred)
- 3/4th tspn red chili powder (or as per your spiciness level)
- ½ spoon mustard seeds
Method
Peel the Sopurkook (Chinese potatoes) and cut them into small pieces and put in water (or the potatoes will brown very fast).
Wash it well to remove soil particles
Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter add chili powder and sauté for a second to remove the raw taste of chili powder.
Immediately add the Chinese potatoes (or else a chance of burning of chili powder is there). Add salt and water as required. Mix well with a spatula.
Close the kadai with a lid, lower the flame and cook till the potatoes become soft
Once cooked switch off the flame. If any water remains increase the flame and evaporate it off.
Your Sopurkooka ukkari (Chinese potato) is ready to serve.
Serve sopurkooka ukkari (Chinese potato) hot /warm with rice, dhali thoy and pappad.
Tips
If you soak the Sopurkook in water for some time (around ½ hour) it will be easier to remove the peel and the soil sticking to it will also get washed off easily.
While adding Sopurkook to the seasonings don’t just the empty the container as such into the kadai. Remember you have cut the Sopurkook a put in water. Now if at all any soil particles are sticking to the potatoes they will naturally settle down. So while adding to the seasoning take little by little (potatoes) from the top and add to the seasoning in the kadai. As you add just mix with the spatula so that the chili powder gets coated evenly.
Now another trick to increase the taste of your ukkari is after adding Sopurkook to the seasoning, add salt but do not add water immediately. Sauté the kook in the oil for 1 minute so that the pieces get evenly coated with chili powder and salt then add water.
If you want Kerala style preparation of this recepie Click here.
