Senaikkizhangu Karumadhu (Yam Saute)

I've talked often about how I eat everything, all fruits and vegetables and all kinds of foods without exception. There are some things I know I like and there are some things I like simply because my dear brother, H, couldn't stand them. The opposite of this also held true for quite a while. I didn't "like" lady's finger simply because he loved it. Yam was (and still is) the one vegetable he absolutely hated. I liked it as a child, but I continue to relish it as an adult as well. I made this saute, a staple at my parents' home, recently. And then I made it again.

Here's the recipe, handed down from mother to daughter and then from daughter to the world!

2 cups Yam, peeled and diced

3-4 Red Chillies

1/4 tsp Turmeric (optional)

1 tbsp Tamarind Paste

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

For the tempering:

1 tbsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

7-8 Curry Leaves

Pressure cook the yam with the tamarind paste, turmeric (if using), salt, chillies and a teaspoon of oil with 3 cups of water. Drain the water.

In a kadhai, heat the tablespoon of oil. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and the drained yam.

Saute for a minute, cover and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow the pieces to crispen. Serve hot with some rice and sambar, your meal is complete!

Please also remember that the Tried and Tasted (Sunshine Mom's Blog) is on at The Singing Chef. Do send in your entries.

Chenaikizhangu Menthi Kuzhambu

I've cooked more traditional (read: food that is traditional where my parents are from) Indian food in the last 3 months than I have in all the time I've been cooking. I've surprised myself as much as I've surprised S. I didn't think I'd make paruppu usli, kootu, avial, puliyodarai, rasam, thuvayal, ghasshi, ambat, and bendi as often as I actually did. I think I feel exactly the way I did when I discovered baking 22 years ago. There was this excitement of trying out new cakes and different frostings. I think what I loved most was people's comments.

Oh, A made this?

She's just in class 6, and she baked this cake?

You mean you helped your mother bake this, right? No? You made it entirely by yourself?

I lived for that praise at age 10. I can't say that much of it has changed now. But baking doesn't get me as many oohs and aahs any more. People comment when I tell them a cake went flat or something like that. I suppose they expect me turn out decent cakes by now. If 22 years can't do it for you, then probably nothing will. But the deal is I've barely cooked any traditional food over the years. I made sambar, rasam, dali saar and some vegetables. But that was that. My biggest inspiration to make south indian food has been S. He orders a thali almost everytime we visit a south indian restaurant and I figured I could start making a small spread for weekend meals even if weekdays/nights don't allow me such luxury. And the cherry on the cake is the contented look on S's face when we're done eating.

I tend to cook dishes that I like as much as the ones that he likes. And so different types of menthi kuzhambu feature every now and then. I love eating rice with paruppu podi if I have some menthi kuzhambu on the side. Traditionally served with rice, yelai paruppu and beans karumadhu or paruppu usli, this makes you want to lick your fingers at the end of the meal.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Yam, cut into 2" sticks

1 tbsp Vathal (Sundaikkai or Manathakkali - optional)

1-2 Red Chillies

1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Asafoetida

1 tbsp Toor Dal

2 tbsp Tamarind Paste

1 tsp Oil

7-8 Curry Leaves

1 tbsp Sambar Powder

Salt to taste

Pressure cook the yam pieces.

Heat oil in a vessel and add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, toor dal, vathal and asafoetida. When the mustard splutters, add the curry leaves and the chillies. Add the cooked yam and fry for a minute. Add the sambar powder and fry for another minute. Add the tamarind paste, salt and a cup and a half of water. Bring to a boil.

Let me sit down and enjoy my meal while you see how my co-runners are faring: DK , Siri, Srivalli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya M, Lakshmi, Lakshmi Venkatesh , Sripriya, Viji, Kamalika, DK, and Pavani.

Yam Fritters

Yam. It was the one vegetable my brother really hated. Or rather claimed he was allergic to. One day Amma made yam cutlets that he gorged on. Ever since, I always tell him to just say he doesn't like the vegetable. The allergy tstory doesn't make the cut. I, on the other hand, have been rather indifferent to this. I'd be lying if I said I loved it. And I definitely don't hate it. Amma makes a vadakkal with it and I really like it.

I'd not known yam fritters. My senior from University treated me to this when I visited her a few years ago. I relished it. I bought some yam and called her just to find out how it was made. She told me to marinate the yam pieces and then dry them in the sun. I didn't have that much time. So I baked them in my oven and then shalow fried them.

(One point to note is that shallow or deep fried yam tends to smell like fish!)

1/4 cup Yam slices

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Mix the turmeric powder, chilli powder, asafoetida and salt. Apply this to the yam slices. Bake in a moderately hot oven (325F) for 35-40 minutes.

Heat a skillet or a frying pan and shallow fry the yam pieces using a little oil. Cook evenly on both sides.

I had this with some rice and dal at her place the first time I had it. I made it to go with some rice and sambar for a Sunday lunch. Perfectly spicy, perfectly crunchy. Just what you need to make your meal complete!