Elephant yam has never been a favourite vegetable for most people—myself included. As a child, I disliked it unless it was made as a mezhukuperatti, especially the slightly burnt bits stuck to the bottom of the vessel. Pairing it with raw banana made it somewhat palatable. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see an elephant yam masala that looked delicious on its own and decided to try it. My mother’s raw elephant yam cooked in coconut—chena arachu kalakki—immediately came to mind. And so, here goes!

ingredients
To Grind
500 gms elephant foot yam (zimmikhand, chena), washed, cleaned and peeled
Ensure you rub your hands with yogurt or lemon juice to prevent itching
Cut into 1” cubes
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi, manjal podi)
1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf, perunjeeragam), pounded
1 tbsp black pepper powder (kala mirch, kuru Milagros podi)
1 tsp mustard seeds (sarson, kadugu)
1 sprig curry leaves
1 cup pearl onions (about a dozen)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Others
Unrefined salt to taste
Method
Boil the yam cubed in a pressure cooker with water, salt and turmeric for 3 whistles
Do not make it mushy
Strain and reserve the stock for some other dish
Add the onion and garlic to a blender and grind to a coarse paste
Heat a wok and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and the ground onion/garlic paste
Now add in red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fennel seeds and black pepper powder
Roast till the the raw smell goes away
Once done, add in the elephant yam cubes and mix to coat evenly
Stir fry till the yam turns crisp
Ckeck and adjust salt
Remove from flame
Serve hot with steamed rice, thandu keerai sambar and elai vadam (crisps)
Enjoy!