Indian

Upwasachi Suran Bhaji

Suran bhaji cooks elephant foot yam in ghee with cumin, a Maharashtrian fasting dish.

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Upwasachi Suran Bhaji

35 mintotal

Prep 20 min · Cook 15 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Medium
Spice
Medium

Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Method

  1. Check the boiled yam: it should be tender to a fork but still holding its cube shape, not falling apart. Drain it thoroughly.

  2. Heat the ghee in a kadhai over steady medium heat, until it is hot enough to sauté in.

  3. Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter. Fold in the minced chillies and fry them for 15 seconds to release their heat into the fat.

    15 sec

  4. Add the boiled yam cubes to the pan. Toss them very gently so every side is coated in the cumin-flavoured fat.

  5. Sprinkle the rock salt over evenly. Pan-roast for 4-5 minutes over medium-low heat, so the edges of the yam turn lightly crisp and golden brown.

    4–5 min

  6. Integrate the shattered, roasted peanuts. Blend cohesively and maintain the heat for a final 2 minutes. The nut fragments act functionally to absorb ambient moisture and inject a contrasting crunch.

    2 min

  7. Extinguish the thermal output. Drizzle the fresh lemon juice uniformly across the sabzi to impart a brilliant, acidic finish.

  8. Scatter over plenty of freshly grated coconut before bringing it to the table.

How to tell it's done

Soft, earthy chunks of root vegetable speckled with the distinct, satisfying crunch of crushed peanuts.

Getting it right

Tip

If you don't boil the yam properly, it will cause an itchy sensation in the throat. Adding tamarind paste or lemon juice during boiling guarantees this won't happen.

What to serve it with

Serve with Rajgira Puri or Sabudana Thalipeeth.