Chef Flower's Turkish Cypriot Taro Casserole - Kibrisli Kolokas

Chef floWer's Note:

This is a traditional Cypriot Turkish recipe, that past generations have been cooking. My mother is away so my friend has given me the recipe. *** Thanks Bet's *** I think my mother also uses diced celery ribs but I can't be sure. Note: There are few varieties of Taro, but this dish is normally used with colocasia root. Enjoy

• Total Time: 55 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 600 g chicken pieces or 600 g chicken breasts, chopped to bite size pieces
• 400 g taro root, peel dark skin, wash, chopped to bite size pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 140 grams)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (400 g) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock, may need more
• 1 lemon, juice of
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Garnish

• coriander (optional) or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. Add 1/3 of the olive oil in a sallow pot, heat, add chicken and brown, remove chicken in a medium size heat resistant bowl and set aside.
2. Add 1/3 of the olive oil in the same pot, heat, add taro and slightly brown, remove taro in a different medium size heat resistant bowl and set aside.
3. Add 1/3 of the olive oil in the same pot, heat, and add onion until lightly brown, then return the chicken to the pot and mix.
4. Add tomato paste, diced tomatoes & chicken stock. Reduce heat and to boil.
5. Add lemon and taro, mix gently.
6. Add salt and pepper.
7. Simmer for 30 minutes but stir occasionally.
8. NOTE: You may need to top up the casserole with chicken stock during the 30 minutes, the sauce will become dry if you don't and potentially burn the recipe. Sauce needs to be thick and lots of it.
9. You can either add coriander/cilantro into the recipe or use it as garnish.
10. Serve with crusty bread & garden salad or a plain Turkish pilaf.

Reviews

[mummamills]

Made this last night, and had some on toast for lunch, its really good!! I had to search for the taro, finally found some, but only about the size of an egg, and $10 a kg!!!
while it was interesting to taste a new veg, I think that orange sweet potato would work well too. Used Chicken tenderloins, and fresh tomatoes. Will make this often!
made for Aussie swap May 2011

[Elmotoo]

Woops, I made this a long time ago for NA*ME Tag but never reviewed it. W loved this!! Taro is interesting stuff & I don't know how to describe it except it was a different starchy than potatoes & sweetish.