A taro stew from Cyprus (kolokasi yiakhni)
This recipes comes from various sources and my own experience in Cyprus. Kolokasi is the Greek-language name for taro. Yiakhni is the Greek-language name for stew (PJM 14.7.04).
Ingredients
- 500 g taro, peeled and cut into mouth-sized pieces; if available, choose a single large taro corm that has a dry texture when cooked; avoid washing the taro with water after it has been peeled.
- No meat, or…200-400 g of the following: chicken, lamb, or pork (the meat may be lean or fat according to taste).
- 1 onion
- 1 stick of tender celery, with leaves, finely chopped.
- 2-3 medium tomatoes, skinned and well chopped (tomato puree can be used instead - or in addition to increase the tomato flavour)
- 20 to 40 ml lemon juice, according to taste
- 3 tablespoons of light cooking oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Method
In a frying pan with half the oil, quickly brown the meat on all sides; reduce heat and cook for a few minutes; remove from pan and place in a deep pan.
In the same frying pan, with the remaining oil and gentle heat, fry the onion and celery for about 5 minutes.
Add the taro and continue cooking; stir regularly.
Remove mixture from the pan and add it to the meat.
Add the tomatoes and half the lemon juice, and stir in gently. Season to taste.
Cover the mixture with 100-200 ml water and simmer until the meat and taro are cooked through (less time and water will be needed if a lid is used). Stir gently, from time to time (avoid mashing the taro).
When the mixture is nearly ready, test the flavour and add more lemon juice if a more sour taste is preferred.
Notes
Time needed is usually about 30 minutes overall, but it depends on how soft you like the taro, on the size and quantity of the pieces you have cut, and on the cooking qualities of the particular taro variety used. If too much lemon and salt are added early, when the taro is beginning to cook, then the taro may remain hard regardless of how long it is cooked.
Deciding when to add the lemon and salt, and how much, depends on the particular variety of taro used and on personal preferences (taro hard/soft, sour/not sour, salty/not salty).
The lemon juice also helps keep the taro white (some varieties may go purple or grey when cooked, which may or may not be preferred).
Serve with side dishes, for example: fresh white bread, thin slices of onion, sliced radish, a green salad, and yoghurt.
