In my last post Mozzarella Cheese Sticks I declared how the fried food is gradually inching up in my list of “food that I crave for”. It’s a pretty volatile list that alters itself with the changing season with the fried items making it to the top in monsoons.
So while I scouted for an Italian dish last week, I decided to dive into something more regional this week, a dish that I have grown up eating. Suran Fry is one dish that Mom would often make for those quick lunches when she would be in no mood to make elaborate meals. During one such meal I ended up gorging almost a dozen slices of fried Suran and it caused me severe stomach ache. Though I would not attribute my pain to this aesthetically displeasing tuber, I became cautious in its consumption for many months. It took many more months of cautious approach and a bit of cajoling from my Mom when I started eating Suran again.
Suran (aka Elephant’s foot yam in Queen’s language) originated in India and thereafter traveled eastwards and westwards as far as America. In its prime form and best of its health this tuber crop would weigh as much as 10 kg. This crop is widely cultivated in Hindi belt of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and eastern state of Orissa, Maharashtra and Gujarat in west. It is also known as Jimikand in Hindi belt of India.
These crops are available in both the varieties, wild as well as cultivated. The crops that grow in wild are unpleasantly bitter and pungent and have high content of needle like calcium oxalate that may cause severe irritation in throat. However after research and development high yielding and non-acrid varieties have been released by many organizations which make this crop suitable for consumption. This has made this crop one of the fast growing cash crops in India. Every regional cuisine has many recipes that make use of yam. In north recipes like Tariwale Suran (gravy preparation with Suran), Dumvale Suran are much of a celebrated recipes.
Suran Fry is a minimalist recipe that requires very few ingredients. Slices of Suran are par boiled and then marinated with fresh tamarind extract. A dry mixture that comprises of rice flour and spices (Malvani Masala) is prepared which is used to coat the slices and then these slices are fried until it is cooked from both sides.
Suran fry can be served as a delicious first course of the meal and it can surprise your guests with its taste and simplicity.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 3-4
- 250 grams Suran (elephant foot yam).Clean yam and cut it into slices (1/4th inch width).
- Malvani Masala (for coating)
- Rice Flour (for coating)
- 1 small marble sized Tamarind Ball (soaked in 3-4 tbsp. of warm water)
- Cooking Oil
- Salt
- Boil 1-1.5 liter of water in a pan. Add 1 tsp salt and mix. Add yam slices.
- Meanwhile we will make a tamarind extract. Squeeze the soaked tamarind.
- We will cook Yam slices for 2-3 mins. After few mins turn off the heat. Take out the cooked Yam from the pan.
- As Yam slices cool down, put tamarind extract and keep it soaked in tamarind extract for 15 mins.
- We will prepare a dry mixture for coating. Put 5 tbsp. rice flour, 3 tbsp. Malvani Masala (You can alter the quantity of Malvani masala as per your taste (spiciness)). Add salt to taste and mix.
- Coat Yam slices with this mixture.
- Heat 2-3 tbsp. oil in a pan. We will fry coated yam slices in this pan. We will cook on one side for 3-4 mins on low heat.
- Flip the slices to cook the underside. When it gets cooked from both sides, take it off the heat. Coat and fry the remaining slices
- Suran Fry can be served as a delicious starter
Click here to watch recipe video
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