Suran Ka Salan

Suran Ka Salan (Spicy Yam-Mustard Curry)

Suran aka zimikand/yam/elephant’s foot is perennial edible tuber comprising majorly of starch. Yam essentially contains good amount of potassium and vitamins but considerably are much low in proteins. Yam is available throughout the year where Nigeria yields the highest percentage and so forms a native staple in African countries and Asian countries as well.

Suran aka yam, is usually made on the day of Diwali in the Northern parts of India. Myself being from UP, my maternal grand parents stayed in the city called Jaunpur ( Near Varanasi), I have noticed from my childhood that on the Diwali day, suran ki sabzi were especially made for a meal at our friend’s place. Honestly speaking, I have no idea about why it is made significantly on Diwali day. I guess I should do some home work now and ask my friends from UP about the reason why it is made on that day specifically. Okay! May be when I come up soon with the next recipe of Suran, I shall enlighten myself regarding the importance of it and then share it with you all here.

Well, today I am sharing with you all my lovely readers, the recipe for Spicy Suran ka Salan,  I am sure you all know the word salan, it is nothing but the gravy or curry. You will find various ways of making suran/yam ki sabzi in dry form, as a snack, as a curry, kababs and even as baked chips. The recipe which I am going to share today is usually how I started making it at home after my marriage. Uffff.. 12 long years, Alhamdulillah. Life had been a roller coaster rides with lot of ups and downs, but we could effortlessly sail through it, all thanks to Almighty and my darling husband.

Coming back to Suran, let me share something interesting about my husband. I hope he won’t get exasperated after reading this. LoL! I am sure he won’t, he is a very easy going fella and enjoys every good/bad comes and goes of life. He was an extremely fussy eater child. All he would eat was either dal-chawal or mutton curry. One day, my MIL made Yam curry for dinner with a concern whether her son will eat it or not. And to her surprise, he loved eating it. Often he started asking his mother to prepare Suran. After getting queried by his mother about the reason to requesting it more often, he said I love that non veg curry, LoL. He never realised it was a veggie until he was informed about it. His quite a good years of childhood was spent eating yam curry which was mistaken as mutton curry for him. And whenever he sits and thinks about it, he starts giggling on his guiltlessness.

Suran ka salan is made using basic spices available in pantry. This recipe is made in onion tomato mustard gravy arrayed with chillies, dry mango powder and usual spice powders. Boiled suran is first shallow fried in mustard oil and then simmered for few minutes in masalas gravy. If you are not a spicy devourer, then you can reduce the amount of chillies as per your liking. But, I am sure, if you make this curry once, you will assuredly be making it more often. Soon I shall be sharing the recipe of Zimikand ki sabzi made by my Grand ma. The magic in grand ma’s hand can never be compared with any one, she makes the best zimikand ki sabzi and I remember, we relished it with hot pooris for breakfast, blissssss! I have tried number of times to imitate her food and the way she cooks, but you know, you can never ever get that magic in your owns hands to exactly replicate the dish made by her.

Now, here comes the story again, my husband says, this suran ka salan taste like boneless chunk of fish cooked in spicy onion mustard curry. Wow, suran ka salan can be a mock and served as a non veg curry to a vegetarian or to a kids/people who only enjoys non vegetarian. What a great way to feed them vegetable, hahahha, Happy Dance!

Now, let’s quickly head on to ingredients and method for how to make delicious spicy suran ka salan….

 

Ingredients:

400 grams, yam/suran, cut in 1&1/2 inch cubes, boiled in enough water to one-two whistle only

½ teaspoon, red chilli powder

1 teaspoon, coriander powder

½ teaspoon, turmeric powder

½ teaspoon, garam masala powder

1 teaspoon, amchoor powder (dry mango powder)

2, green chillies, slit

1 bay leaf

1 inch cinnamon stick

Salt to taste

3 tablespoons, Mustard oil

Grind to paste:

1 medium onion

1 medium tomato

2 green chillies

4-5 garlic cloves

1 inch, ginger piece

1 teaspoon, mustard seeds

½ teaspoon, cumin seeds

Method:

In kadhai, heat 1 tablespoon mustard oil until smoky. Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to low

Add boiled suran and fry them until golden. Take them out onto a plate and keep it aside

In the same kadhai, add remaining mustard oil and heat until smoky, reduce the heat to low

Add bay leaf and cinnamon stick and fry for 30 seconds

Add ground onion-tomato paste, salt and sauté on high until all the raw smell goes off. Do not burn it.

Add chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder with a tablespoon of water and cook until masala starts releasing oil

Add suran, green chillies slit, amchoor and water as per the needed consistency and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

SUran ka salan is ready to be served

Dish out and garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with hot steaming rice or phulkas