Suran Fry (Crispy Elephant Foot Yam)

On the Konkan coast, suran (elephant foot yam) is cooked exactly like fish fry: boiled, marinated in a spicy red masala and fried in a semolina crust. Crispy outside, soft and earthy inside – many people call it the best vegetarian fry there is.

Video by HomeCookingShow on YouTube. Our recipe below is our own home-style version, written in our own words – quantities and steps may differ from the video.

• Serves 4
• Prep 20 min
• Cook 30 min
• Vegan
• Famous in Maharashtra & Konkan

Ingredients

• 400 g elephant foot yam (suran), peeled, in 1 cm slices
• ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp salt for boiling
• For the masala: 1½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp tamarind paste, ½ tsp salt
• 4 tbsp fine semolina mixed with 1 tbsp rice flour
• oil for shallow-frying

Method

1. Wear gloves or oil your hands. Boil the yam slices with turmeric and salt for 8–10 minutes until just tender. Drain and cool.
2. Mix the masala ingredients to a paste and coat the slices. Rest 15 minutes.
3. Press each slice into the semolina mix on both sides.
4. Shallow-fry on medium heat for 3–4 minutes per side until golden and crisp. Serve with dal-rice or as a starter.

Tip: Tamarind in the masala prevents the itchy throat raw yam can cause.

Shop the ingredients

Everything you need for this recipe is in stock at Farmah’s – order online or pick it up at Annenstraße 41, Graz.