Tuber tales

Curating a recent supper club menu featuring koorka chaat and sweet potato pudding made me see humble tubers in a new light.

Growing up, potatoes were the go-to spud. I remember community harvests — our neighbour’s farm would send sacks of fresh potatoes, and we’d gather to wash, slice, salt, and sun-dry them into golden chips. Kids were given the crucial task of guarding the slices from birds and bugs. Of course, we snacked more than we shooed. That memory is more than nostalgic; it’s a small lesson in sustainability: reducing waste, preserving surplus, and embracing slow, shared food.

Other native roots like sweet potatoes and tapioca were also kitchen staples, turned into desserts or simmered in stews. Behind every dish was passed-down culinary knowledge. Today, as so-called superfoods travel the world to reach our plates, many of our most potent, nutritious ingredients grow quietly underground, right here at home.

Why native tubers matter

Indigenous tubers like koorka (Chinese potato), suran (elephant foot yam), taro, cassava, sweet potatoes, and arrowroot have long nourished rural communities across India. Cooking with them isn’t just about variety — it’s about honouring food heritage, boosting nutrition, and supporting local ecosystems and economies.

Nutritional powerhouses

These roots aren’t just carbs. They’re packed with dietary fibre, resistant starches, prebiotics, and unique plant compounds that aid digestion, fight inflammation, and promote metabolic health. Unlike white rice or refined bread, they release energy slowly, making them great for blood sugar control and satiety. Many are also naturally gluten-free and ideal for people with food sensitivities, diabetes, or PCOS.

Good for the soil, too

Native tubers thrive with little water and no chemical inputs. They flourish in poor soil, prevent erosion, and offer year-round food security.

By eating them, we help maintain agrobiodiversity — the diversity of life in our food systems. Unlike monoculture crops that deplete soil, tubers replenish it, use fewer resources, and leave smaller environmental footprints. Buying from small and tribal farmers creates demand for these traditional crops, sustaining livelihoods and time-tested knowledge.

Root-to-plate hacks

Koorka stir-fry: Boil and toss with coconut, curry leaves, and mustard seeds.
Crispy suran slices: Roast with salt, turmeric, sesame oil, and cumin.
Arbi cutlets: Mash steamed arbi with garlic, spices, and pan-fry.
Sweet pudding: Use sweet potato/arrowroot flour with coconut milk, chia, and jaggery. Chill to set.
Cassava swap: Use instead of rice or bread. Serve with curry, chana, and papad.
Tuber rotis: Mix mashed tubers into dough for soft, hearty flatbreads.
Peel chips: Sun-dry and fry sweet potato/potato peels. Sprinkle over meals.
Instant adai dosa: Make a quick batter with boiled arbi, its leaves, and soaked dals.
Sweet potato sabzi boost: Grate it raw into dishes to balance salt and add sweetness.
Rice pudding remix: Blend mashed sweet potato into leftover rice with cream, jaggery, cinnamon, and nuts.

(Ranjini is a communications professor, author, and podcaster, straddling many other worlds, in Bengaluru. She’s passionate about urban farming and sustainable living, and can mostly be found cooking and baking in her little kitchen, where, surrounded by heirloom coffee kettles and mismatched tea cups, she finds her chi.)