Koorka (Chinese potato)

Coleus rotundifolius

root

Small brown tubers tasting of potato and earth, scraped then stir-fried with coconut (koorka mezhukkupuratti) in Kerala.

Origin

West Africa, grown in southern India and Southeast Asia

Season (United States)

October to January

Preparation

Once scraped and rinsed, they are boiled for about ten minutes before being stir-fried; they are eaten cooked, never raw.

Molecules

In small amounts, not counted Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

Peeling them one by one takes so long that in Kerala they are rubbed together in a jute sack.