Chapua/Arbi in mustard gravy

One of my fav meal combinations is Arbi/colocasia in mustard gravy with steaming hot rice. In Bihar, it is called Chapua. Why it is called so, the reason is the boiled and peeled Arbi is hand-pressed and marinated in masala and deep-fried. So hand-pressing in Bihar is called Chapna hence the name is Chapua.
The taste resembles of fish in mustard gravy and the process of making is also same here for this dish.

Its vegetarian fish dish for persons who do not eat Fish.

I am posting this recipe on one of my dear friend request.

Now let's move to the recipe-

Ingredients -
1. whole Arbi - 10 small pieces
2. Onion chopped - 1 Piece
3. Tomato chopped - 1 small piece
4. Garlic  paste - 4 small spoon
5. Ginger paste - 2 small spoon
6. Green chili chopped - 2 pieces
7. Red chili powder - 1 small spoon
8. Turmeric powder - 2 Spoon
9. Pepper powder - 1 Spoon
10. Jeera/Cumin powder - 1 Spoon
11. Garam masala - 1 small spoon
12. Mustard soaked in water - 3 Spoon
13. Methi seed + 2 whole Red chili+ Whole jeera + 2 Bay leaves - 1 spoon for Tadka
14. Oil for frying and gravy - 1 cup (can be swallow fried also)
15. Salt - as per taste

Recipe -
1. Pressure boil the Arbi with the skin for one whistle. If Arbi is big then make it two whistle cook.
2. Now cool the boiled Arbi and peel off the skin.
3. Now take one Arbi and gentle press it between the palms. It should not break. Likewise, do for all Arbi pieces.
4. Now prepare Marination masala. Take a bowl and take 2 small spoons of garlic paste, 1 small spoon of ginger paste, half spoon of red chili powder, 1 spoon of turmeric powder, half spoon of pepper powder and salt as per taste and take a 2-3 spoon of water and mix to make a paste.
5. Now add all presses Arbi pieces and coated with a gentle hand. Leave it to marinate for ten minutes.
6. Take a frying Pan, pour 3/4 cup of oil and heat it sufficiently. The oil should be sufficiently hot otherwise Arbi pieces will stick to the pan.
7. Now drop 3-4 Arbi pieces and deep fry them till golden brown. Similarly deep fry all Arbi pieces.
You can also shallow fry with less oil.
8. Take a mixer wet masala grinding jar, add soaked mustard, chopped onion, chopped tomato, green chili. and grind it to a fine paste. And keep it aside.
9. Now take a kadhai, heat it properly and add remaining fresh oil. You can also use remaining deep fried oil.
10. Once the oil is sufficiently hot, add Tadka masala (mentioned in point 13) and let is splutter nicely. Then add mustard fine paste, add remaining garlic, ginger paste and saute till nice aroma starts coming out and masala starts leaving oil. Add salt and all dry masala powder except garam masala and saute for next two minutes.
11. Now add water and mix it will. Bring a boil to the gravy then add all fried Arbi and again simmer it on low flame for ten minutes. Check the consistency of the gravy as per your choice and also check if Arbi is fully cooked without breaking.

Now the Chapua is ready to serve. Ideally, it is served with plain rice but you can also enjoy it with hot chapati and parathas.

Hope you will like this dish.

I will be back with another flavourful recipe very soon, till then

Bye bye yummy mummies!!