Arbi Bitterballen, Shallot Kasundi Chutney

Arbi, or colocasia, is a meaty root vegetable. As a child I was never fond of arbi because if not cooked well, it can result in a slimy dish. Now I eat it quite frequently and in my house arbi is used to prepare a variety of dishes — Arbi Cootu, Arbi Kadhi, Arbi Vade, or simple grilled arbi with ajwain and other spices.

My first encounter with a Belgian bitterballen was in a London pub. It was love at first bite and I soon became a frequent customer at the pub, more to eat the bitterballen than to taste the variety of Belgian beers available. On one such visit, inspiration struck, and I decided to use boiled, mashed arbi to create this dish, particularly for vegetarians who will never be able to taste a real bitterballen. This Indian Accent version tastes quite similar to the non-veg one.

Ingredients

For bitterballen

• 100 g arbi

• 1.5 tbsp ghee

• 1/2 tbsp ginger–garlic paste

• 1/2 tbsp brown onion paste

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder

• 1/4 tsp green cardamom powder

• 1/4 tsp mace powder

• 1/2 tbsp brown cashew nut paste

• 1 tbsp double cream

• 2 tbsp tempura batter

• 100 g panko breadcrumbs

• salt to taste

• oil for frying

For shallot kasundi chutney

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 tbsp kasundi (Bengali mustard)

• 2 tsp shallots, chopped

• 1/2 tsp lime juice

• salt to taste

Method

For bitterballen

Wash arbi carefully, remove the mud. Boil in hot water with salt. Ensure that it is cooked through but not mushy. Cool, peel and finely grate.

Heat ghee in a heavy-bottom pan. Sauté ginger–garlic paste till golden. Add brown onion paste. Sauté. Add red chilli powder and grated arbi. Sauté on a low flame till arbi is completely mashed and begins to leave the sides of the pan. Add garam masala powder, green cardamom powder, mace powder, cashew nut paste and cream. Adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Place the mixture in the fridge to chill.

When chilled, remove and divide the mixture into eight equal portions. Shape into round dumplings. Dip in tempura batter. Roll in panko breadcrumbs and keep ready.

For shallot kasundi chutney

Roughly chop shallots. Mix with kasundi, mayo and lime juice.

Add salt, if required.

Serve

Fry the Arbi Bitterballen in hot oil till golden brown. Serve hot with shallot kasundi chutney.