Cooking With Suran AKA

Elephant Foot Yam

: Easy Recipes And Common Mistakes To Avoid

How to Remove Itchiness from Suran

Before cooking suran or considering touching it, one needs to know how to remove itchiness from suran. The itchiness results from calcium oxalate crystals, which are present in needle-like formations called raphides. It’s a property shared with pineapples, which tend to tingle the mouth, causing mild discomfort when chewed on. 

The best way to tackle this issue is by wearing gloves, or lubricating your hands with cooking oil – coconut oil or mustard oil works well. If you want a desi ‘nuskha’, then use tamarind water. You can soak the suran in this sour agent, or could directly add it when the elephant foot yam is being cooked, to prevent throat itching while eating. 

Five Mistakes to Avoid When Cooking with Suran

Now that you are aware of what is behind the itch when it comes to elephant foot yams, here are some more mistakes you should address while handling the vegetable:

1. Not handling the itchiness properly

Suran contains calcium oxalate crystals, which can cause itching on the hands and throat if not treated properly. The mistake you’ll probably make here is washing it before cutting or cooking it directly without precautions. So to avoid getting your hands all itchy, soak pieces in tamarind water, buttermilk, or turmeric water before cooking to negate the irritation.

2. Washing it the wrong way before cutting

Yes, there is a wrong way of washing this vegetable, too. Some vegetables like potatoes and brinjal need washing before peeling them, but for suran, this will cause that dreaded itchiness. So, peel and cut first, preferably with oiled or gloved hands, then wash thoroughly.

3. Cutting uneven or large chunks

Depending on what elephant foot yam recipes you are making, the shape and size of the suran should change. As a thumb rule, irregular or large pieces should be avoided, given the toughness of the vegetable.

4. Skipping pre-cooking (boiling or steaming)

Suran tends to be stiffer than most root vegetables, so it requires a specific cooking method and should be handled with care. While you can make stir fries and cook them raw, it is always a good idea to boil or steam the elephant foot yams to soften them. It also reduces the cooking time.

5. Overcooking or undercooking

While boiling and steaming cuts down cooking time, when it is added to a dish, overcooking it will turn it pulpy. Not pre-preparing it before adding it to stir-fries or curries tends to keep it in its tough and unpleasant texture. So cook the suran until tender.

Elephant Foot Yam Recipes

Cooking with suran can be tricky, but with the above tips in mind, the process of going about elephant foot yam recipes can be quite easy and seamless. 

Yam Fry Recipe

One of the easiest elephant foot yam recipes is the yam fry recipe. With the basic yam preparation out of the way, you can make a simple stir-fry with the vegetable and some whole and powder masala. 

Ingredients

• Chopped yam pieces

• Green chili

• Ginger garlic paste

• Garam masala

• Red chilli powder

• Curry leaves

• Mustard seeds

• Cumin seeds

• Turmeric

• Hing

• Ghee or oil

Method

Here’s what cooking with suran looks like in a stir-fry recipe: 

• Soak, wash, peel, chop, and boil yams until tender (not mushy), then drain. 

• Heat ghee, fry curry leaves and chilli, add mustard and cumin (let splutter), then hing and ginger garlic. 

• Add yams, salt, and turmeric; fry on high, stirring. 

• Add chilli powder and garam masala, cook briefly, and serve hot.

Suran Sabzi recipe

A simple dish, suran sabzi recipe, is made with cumin and nigella seeds along with onions, tomatoes, and spices. The yams absorb the rich masala flavours and are commonly eaten with roti or rice as a comforting everyday dish. 

Ingerdients

• Elephant foot yam, peeled and diced

• Ghee

• Nigella seeds and cumin seeds

• Onion, ginger, green chillies

• Tomatoes

• Turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala

• Curd, gram flour

• Salt

• Coriander leaves

Method:

• Rinse, cut, and pressure cook the yams until tender but firm, then drain. 

• Heat ghee, add kalonji and cumin to crackle, then sauté onion till light golden; add ginger and chillies briefly. 

• Add tomatoes and cook till soft and oil separates, then add the turmeric, chilli powder, salt, and garam masala; mix it. Add yams and coat well. 

• Whisk curd with besan, lower the heat, and mix it in gently; add a little water if needed. 

• Simmer on low until the flavours combine, adjust salt, garnish with coriander, and serve.

Senai Kizhangu Fry Recipe

This is a South Indian style side dish made by boiling and shallow-frying elephant foot yams with spices. The yams are crispy on the outside and soft inside, and are often served with rice dishes like sambar or rasam rice.

Ingredients:

• Elephant foot yams, peeled and cubed

• Salt, turmeric, water

• Oil

• Fennel seeds (saunf), cinnamon

• Green chilli, curry leaves

• Red chilli powder, garam masala

• Onion, tomatoes, garlic

Method:

• Cook yams with salt, turmeric, and water until tender, then drain. 

• Blend onion, tomato, and garlic into a smooth paste. 

• Heat oil, fry yams till lightly golden and set aside. In the same pan, heat more oil, add fennel, cinnamon, curry leaves, and green chilli; sauté, then add the ground masala. 

• Mix in salt, chilli powder, and garam masala, add a little water, and bring to a boil. 

• Add yams and cook on high until the masala coats them well and dries slightly, then serve.

Jimikand Chutney Recipe

One of the simplest elephant foot yam recipes from Bihar is the jimikand chutney recipe. It is made by boiling the yams and mashed with spices and aromatics.

Ingredients:

• Elephant foot yam

• Ginger, garlic, green chillies

• Carom seeds, Nigella seeds

• Lemon juice

• Salt, oil

Method:

• Peel, chop, and boil yams in salted water until tender, then cool and mash smooth. 

• Heat oil, add ajwain and kalonji, then mix in ginger, garlic, and green chillies. 

• Combine this with the mashed yams, add lemon juice and salt, mix well, and serve fresh.

Ol er Dalna Recipe

Bengal has a handful of elephant foot yam recipes, starting from eating it as a ‘seddo’ or a boiled mash eaten with plain rice, to a curry made with potatoes and the elephant foot yam or ‘ol’. 

Ingredients:

• Ol or elephant foot yam

• Potatoes

• Dried red chillies, green chillies

• Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds

• Tamarind pulp, ginger paste

• Turmeric, Bengali garam masala

• Mustard oil, ghee

• Salt, sugar

• Coconut (chopped)

Method:

• Oil hands, peel and cube yams; boil in salted water until just tender, then drain. 

• Fry coconut in mustard oil and set aside, then lightly fry yams and remove. In the same oil, fry potatoes until golden and nearly cooked, then set aside. 

• Add dried red chillies and whole spices, then turmeric, salt, tamarind, and ginger with a little water; mix well. 

• Add potatoes and yams, stir, add water, and bring to a boil. 

• Simmer until the gravy thickens, then add salt, sugar, ghee, garam masala, and green chillies. 

• Finish with fried coconut and serve with rice.

Elephant Foot Yam Recipes Made Easy

Cooking with suran is fairly easy once you master the basics of it, starting from handling it well to the perfect way to chop it. Start cooking it as per some regional recipes, from curries, stir fries, to chutneys. It’s a vegetable worth eating, be it summer or winter. Try a jikikand chutney recipe on one day, and a senai kizhangu fry recipe on another day.