The large arrowhead shaped leaves of Taro plants (Colocasia esculenta) are a familiar sight by the paddy fields or near stream beds and marshy lands in Coorg.

The plants love moisture, and in the powerful winds and relentless rains of the monsoon, they thrive defiantly. If you have the opportunity, stand by a clump of Taro when it’s raining. You’ll be treated to a beautiful sound and water display, as the rain hammers down on and slides off the slopes of the giant leaves. Not quite as dramatic, perhaps, as a dive bomber attack on a battleship, but it does get pretty loud!

Possibly native to the Indo-Malayan region, Taro has made its way around the world. In Hawaiian culture, where the plants played an significant role in the early years of the Polynesian settlement of the islands, it is considered sacred.

Known as Kaymbu in the Kodava language, it is one of the most useful food plants, with its edible corms (kaymbu kandé) stems and leaves.There are several types of  Kaymbu that are commonly eaten. The two main ones are the green stemmed and red stemmed (chonde kaymbu) varieties. There is another thicker leafed variety, known as mara (tree) kaymbu, that grows on the sheltered branches of large trees.

Kaymbu in all its forms – corms, stems and leaves, needs to be cooked thoroughly to help neutralize the calcium oxalate crystals  (known as raphides ) present  in it. The needle like crystals can cause severe irritation to the soft tissues of the mouth and throat. In Southern India, colocasia is almost always cooked using some tamarind in the recipe. While this might seem counter intuitive, to add something sour to the already tart leaves and stems, it may have an effect in further neutralizing some of the calcium oxalate.

Kaymbu leaves may be dried for later use, but usually the tender leaves are picked fresh since they are readily available year round. The leaves of the red stemmed kaymbu are not eaten. It is the deep red stem that is made into a delicious sour sweet curry. Green kaymbu leaves and stems are also curried and the tender leaves made into a tangy chutney. Mara kaymbu leaves are favoured for a version of patrode popular in Mangalorean and Konkani cuisine. It is made by layering the leaves with a paste of rice flour, spices, ground lentils, and tamarind. This is then rolled up and steamed. It can then be sliced and fried after steaming. Mara kaymbu leaves are also chopped  into a rice batter and steamed like kulae puttu. The steamed cakes are then cut into pieces and added to sambar.  And of course the starchy corms, or kaymbu kandé, were used wherever the potato has now taken  over.

In Vancouver, I can find fresh Taro leaves (imported from Fiji ) and even Indian taro roots ( known as arbi or arvi in Hindi and Punjabi, it is popular with the local Indo-Canadian clientele) . I haven’t found red stemmed taro yet, but it’s probably out there somewhere, most likely in a Japanese supermarket. This Japanese pickle recipe tells me I’m looking for Aka-zuiki. Taro by yet another name!

When Vancouver’s Farmers’ market stalls are loaded with beautiful red rhubarb stalks, I make my version of red kaymbu curry, replacing the tart stems of kaymbu, with the equally sour ones of rhubarb. Curiously, when cooked this way, the flavour of the rhubarb reminds me of  kaad maangé.

Next time round, I think I’ll add some ripe mangoes!

Chonde kaymbu curry

Red stem taro in a sweet and sour sauce

• 1/2 kg red kaymbu stems, peeled and sliced into 2” lengths or 1/2 kg rhubarb stems
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 medium onions, finely sliced
• 3-4 dry red chillis, broken and deseeded
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
• ½ cup grated coconut, ground to a fine paste (optional)
• I tbsp thick tamarind extract**
• 3 tbsp jaggery
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp oil

Tempering (optional)

• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 7-8 curry leaves
•  1 tbsp oil

Heat the oil in a shallow pan and add the mustard and curry leaves if using, followed by the red chillis and garlic. Sauté for two minutes, then add the sliced onions and cook on medium heat until the onions are softened and just beginning to brown. Add the chopped kembu, two cups of hot water and cook on medium-high for two minutes.

Reduce the heat, then add the ground coriander,chilli powder, turmeric and salt. Cook on low heat for five minutes or until the kaymbu is tender. Add the ground coconut and jaggery.Simmer for about two minutes, then put in the tamarind extract and cook for a couple more minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Do not reheat.

A note if you are using Rhubarb. It cooks and breaks down much faster than kaymbu stems, so adjust your cooking time accordingly. Also, reduce the quantity of water to 1 1/2 cups.

* Versions of this can found in other cuisines  like alu wadi in Maharashtra or patra in Gujarat.  

** In recipes that don’t use tamarind, the dish is finished with a squeeze of lime or chorangé (a kind of citron) juice. Do not reheat the dish.