Senai Kizhangu Varuval-Elephant Foot Yam Fry (tawa fry)

Elephant Foot Yams can be used to prepare a variety of dishes like yam roast, masiyal, kootu, chutney, kababs, cutlets etc. It is know as Suran in Hindi, Senai Kizhangu in Tamil and Chena in Malayalam. The highest consumption of the elephant foot yam is in Africa, followed by some Asian countries such as India. Let us see a few health benefits of elephant foot yam before going to the recipe. Yam is high in fiber and is considered to be a healthy low-fat food. So it is said to promote weight loss. It is a rich source of essential fatty acids which are known to increase the good cholesterol levels in the blood. The elephant yam is widely used in the treatment of patients suffering from piles.It is a natural cure for constipation and irregular bowel movements.Yams are also a good source of vitamin B6, it provides relief from pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) as well.Yam offers special health benefits to people with diabetes as it has a very low glycemic index. It is also a good source of potassium, magnesium and phosphorous and has traces of minerals like selenium, zinc and copper. It provides relief from hypertension as it produces cooling effect to the body. Today we will learn how to make senai kilangu varuval following this easy recipe.

Peel the skin, wash and cut the yam into slices as shown below. It should not be too thin nor too thick. (Wear a disposable gloves or grease your hands with oil when cutting yam to prevent itching)

Soak tamarind in warm water, extract the juice and discard the pulp.If using tamarind paste, just mix it with needed water. Parboil  the yam slices in tamarind water adding turmeric powder and salt.

Drain the water completely. Add all the spice powder and leave it to marinate for 15 minutes. You can adjust the spices as per your personal preferences. Since we have added salt while cooking the yam, add less while marinating.

Heat a tawa, arrange the yam slices, drizzle a tsp of oil around each yam pieces and fry both sides until golden brown. Repeat the same process for the rest of the yam slices.

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