Senai Kizhangu Poriyal/Elephant Yam Stir-Fry

Senai Kizhangu Poriyal is a rare sight in our household. That’s b’coz i m allergic to yam. Its recent. I still remember those days when Amma used to make the Senai Fry which will keep vanishing little by little if it’s a holiday.
There were days that they completely disappeared even before lunch. Being that crazy i was about the cooked yam, when it came to the preparation I was apprehensive. Sometime after marriage I found out that i have turned allergic to yams and i banned it from my kitchen. So it was banned for M as well. But last week when we were in the local sabzi mandi which was filled with fresh produce M sighted these elephant yams and asked if i could cook for him. Well! I couldn’t say ‘no’ and hey I could also click and post it .So got it and left it to rest for a week so they can age and let go some of their itchiness. I want to make something simple rather than the deep-fried goodness that Amma makes that would tempt me. So here is a humble stir-fry that would go well with Sambar, rasam or curd rice.

Ingredients:

Elephant Yam/Senai Kizhangu-1/2 kg

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Tamarind-small lemon sized

Sambar powder-2 tsp (recipe here )

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Urad dal-1 tsp

Curry leaves-1 sprig

Oil- 2 tsp

Salt-as needed

How it Happened:

1. Remove the skin of the elephant yam and wash it well. Chop them into tiny cubes.

2. Heat a sauce pan with 2 cups of water. Add the tamarind, turmeric powder and salt to the water. Add the chopped yam and cook covered for 15-20 minutes in medium flame. The yam should be soft but should hold it’s shape. Drain the water completely and set aside.

3. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. When they splutter add the cooked yam and give it a stir. Then add sambar powder and salt (if needed) and mix well. Simmer it and allow it to roast for 5-7 minutes.

4. Switch off the flame and transfer to the serving bowl.

Notes:

* The skin of yam will have loads of mud so remove the skin with a knife. Also wash it well to remove any mud. Remove any black spots as well.

* The yam took me exactly 17 minutes to cook. That’s because its aged so they become hard. While boiling take care not to overcook as they may turn mushy. Keep checking after 10 minutes by slicing it with a spoon.

*As my sambar powder has chillies in it, i didn’t use any extra chilli powder. Also if you don’t have sambar powder in hand, mix coriander powder, chilli powder and use it.

*Ageing of yams is a must to lessen the itchiness.