Fried elephant foot yam also known as suran fodi is a Goan delicacy. Thin slices of yam are coated with spices and semolina or rava and shallow fried. It can be served as an appetizer or as an accompaniment to vegetarian meals.
Yam is normally found in the Goan markets during the rainy season. People make a variety of dishes with yam like suran curry that is yam curry or suran usali that is stir fried yam just like taro root stir fry or madyechi usali. Elephant foot yam is a tuber and this tuber should never be eaten raw and should be cooked properly.
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Yam tends to itch and hence soaking it in water and later applying tamarind to it is important. Even while cutting it, apply tamarind paste or coconut oil to your hands. They are a reliable source of energy, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber. It is rich in antioxidants and is an excellent source of vitamin B-complex.
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Ingredients used to make suran recipe:
- Elephant foot yam/suran: Elephant foot yam or suran is the star ingredient.
- Tamarind paste: Tamarind paste is applied to this tuber so that there is no itching.
- Salt: Salt is added for taste.
- Masalas: Masalas like red chili powder and turmeric powder are used for marinating the yam. These masalas are also added to semolina (rava) for coating.
- Oil: Little cooking oil like coconut oil or any type of vegetable oil is used for shallow frying.
- Flour: Semolina or rava and rice flour are used for coating the yam before shallow frying.
Steps to make crispy fried yam recipe:
- Apply coconut oil to your palm and then using a kitchen knife, cut the thick skin from the yam and discard.
- Cut the yam into thin slices. The thickness should be almost 1/2 centimeter.
- Soak the yam slices in 2 cups water to which 1 tablespoon salt has been added. Let them be soaked for at least an hour.
- Wash them after 1 hour under running water preferably RO water.
- Apply tamarind paste to the yam slices and leave them aside for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, apply 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Mix the ingredients meant for coating, which is rava (semolina), rice flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Heat a tava / frying pan and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil on it.
- Coat the masala coated yam / suran slices in the spiced rava and spread them on the frying pan.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil on top of these and fry for 10 minutes on low flame.
- After 10 minutes flip them to the other side and fry again for 15 minutes or till done.
Notes to keep in mind while making Mangalorean suran fry:
- Always cook the yam by covering the pan.
- You can sprinkle 1 tablespoon water on the yam slices while they are getting fried.
In Goa, this Suran used to grow in our backyard. In my childhood, mom used to take us to backyard to see this tuber and tell us about the similarities between elephant foot and this yam. Even now it grows in many places in Goa. During the rainy season, we can find lots of ladies from the villages selling suran and other organic vegetables along the roadside on the highways passing through the forests of Goa. Most of the local vehicles stop and purchase these from the village ladies.
How to serve suran fry?
Shallow fry the rava coated yam and serve it during snack time or as an accompaniment with rice, kelyachi bhaji and amlechi uddamethi.
Suran Fodi | Fried Yam
Ingredients
- 250 grams elephant foot yam / suran
- 2 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 4 tablespoon oil for shallow frying
For the coating:
- 2 tablespoon rava/semolina
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Apply coconut oil to your palm and then using a kitchen knife, cut the thick skin from the yam and discard.
- Cut the yam into thin slices. The thickness should be almost 1/2 centimeter.
- Soak the yam slices in 2 cups water to which 1 tablespoon salt has been added. Let them be soaked for at least an hour.
- Wash them after 1 hour under running water preferably RO water.
- Apply tamarind paste to the yam slices and leave them aside for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, apply 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Mix the ingredients meant for coating, which is rava (semolina), rice flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt.
- Heat a tava / frying pan and drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil on it.
- Coat the masala coated yam / suran slices in the spiced rava and spread them on the frying pan.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil on top of these and fry for 10 minutes on low flame.
- After 10 minutes flip them to the other side and fry again for 15 minutes or till done.
Notes
You can sprinkle 1 tablespoon water on the yam slices while they are getting fried. It is particularly important to soak the yam slices in salt water and later apply concentrated tamarind pulp to it. This removes the itchiness from the elephant foot yam if there is any.
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Note: This post was published on 19-Jan-2016 and is republished.
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