Aaloo or Colocasia is a seasonal leafy vegetable found mostly during the monsoons in Goa. Here is a Goan recipe in which these leaves are cooking in a coconut curry with prawns and vatana. Traditionally, jackfruits seeds are added to this dish as well.
- Cuisine Goan
- Course Main Course
- Serves 10
- Method Stovetop
- Difficulty Hard
- Cook Time 1 hour(s)
1. Wash the aaloo thoroughly. Chop as shown below. Please handle these leaves with care because they tend to cause itchiness. I recommend using gloves.
2. Soak vatana overnight. In a pot add the vatana with 3 cups of water and 1/4 onion finely chopped. Add 2.25 teaspoons salt. Boil till almost done. If you plan on adding dry jackfruit seeds, add them at this stage. In the mean time, heat coconut oil in a pan. Add the whole dry spices. Saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the onion and saute till it begins to turn brown. Add in the coconut once the onion turns brown. Saute for a few minutes.
4. Add turmeric powder. Turn the flame off and let the mixture cool. Once cooled, add around 2 cups of water and grind into a coarse paste. Keep aside.
5. When the vatana are almost done add in the ball of tamarind and cook till they are well done. Add the chopped leaves. Let the mixture come to a boil. This step is crucial to remove the itchiness that may be caused by the leaves.
6. Add the masala. Let the whole mixture come to a boil. Add in the prawns. Baby prawns work best for this dish. I cut the big prawns into smaller pieces.
7. Mix everything well and cook till the prawns are done. Enjoy hot with rice or pole.