Senai-Kizhangu-Varuval-Yam-Fry

#SenaiVaruval #SenaikizhanguVaruval #YamFry : We went to Chennai by train from kolkatta in the last week of February. During long train journey we have to buy lunch from pantry of the train. The usual lunch menu would have roti with a side dish and rice with dhal and curd. I find it very difficult to eat dhal mixed rice without any curry. So I planned to prepare a dry curry at home and pack it for the journey. The curry has to withstand two days of journey. First I thought potato curry would be better. Then I thought Brinjal, but finally decided to prepare a dry curry with #yam [ #senaikizhangu ]. Usually thin pieces of #senai [ #yam ] is cooked in pressure cooker with chilly powder and salt and then sauteed in kadai with tempering. But this time I tawa fried thick pieces of cooked yam so that I thought it would not get spoiled and its taste would be intact for two days.
Yes, my choice was right and the senai varuval remained good for two days.

Ingredients :
1/2 kg	Senai kizhangu [ yam ]
1/4 Tsp	Red chilly powder [ Adjust ]
1 Tsp	Sambar powder
1/4 Tsp	Turmeric powder
1 Tsp	Coriander powder
1/2 Tsp	Cumin powder
1/2 Tsp	Fennel powder [ optional ]
1 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
2 Tsp	Groundnut oil

Groundnut oil to fry cooked senai kizhangu [ yam ] on tawa.

Method :

Remove skin of senai kizhangu [ yam ] and wash two or three times in water.

Cut it into 5 mm thick and 1 to 1 1/2 inch squares or rectangular shape pieces.
Put pieces in water otherwise it's color will change.
Take a pressure cooker and add 1/4 cup water.
Then add turmeric powder, red chilly powder, Sambar powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, fennel powder, salt and oil.
Mix well and add senai kizhangu [ yam ] pieces.
Close the cooker with weight on.
Cook till it gives one whistle on high flame.
Release pressure immediately and open the cooker.
Check if the yam pieces are done.
The cooked yam pieces should be soft but should not be overcooked.
Adjust salt and chilly powder.

Heat a tawa [ dosai kal ] on low flame.
Sprinkle one teaspoon of oil on tawa.
Spread senai kizhangu pieces on tawa.
Again sprinkle oil over and around the pieces.
Flip pieces using a dosai ladle and fry till the pieces turn into golden color.

Remove from the tawa and transfer into a serving bowl/container with lid.
Again sprinkle oil on tawa and fry next batch of pieces.

Senai kizhangu varuval - Yam fry goes well with rasam rice, 

sambar rice and even good with curd rice.





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Senai-Morekuzhambu

#SenaiMorekuzhambu : #Yam is known as #senai or #senaikizhangu in Tamil. It is also known as Kaaraa Karunai in Tamil. We commonly call it yam in English. But it is known as #ElephantFootYam in English and its botanical name is Amorphophallus paeniifolius.

Senaikizhangu kara curry is one of the favorite curries of many people. But it can also be used in the preparation of vathakuzhambu. In the same way it can also be used in the preparation of #morekuzhambu.
#Morekuzhambu is a special gravy done for lunch to have with white rice.
The taste of this kuzhambu varies with the taste of the curd and also on the vegetable taken. But the gravy comes out good only with fresh curd or slightly sour curd.

There are five stages to prepare a tasty morekuzhambu

• Beat the curd adding 1/4 tsp of asafoetida and crushed ginger
• Grind coconut, cumin, chilly and soaked gram dhal & rice along with onion into a smooth paste
• Boil the vegetable
• Finally simmer boiled vegetable adding prepared coconut paste and then curd
• Temper mustard seed, cumin seed, split black gram, broken red chilly, asafoetida and curry leaves

Ingredients :
150 gm	Senaikizhangu [ Yam ]
1 cup	Curd
small piece	Ginger
2 pinch	Asafoetida powder
1/4 Tsp	Turmeric powder
1 Tsp	Salt [ Adjust ]
For masala :
3 Tsp	Grated Coconut
1 Tsp	Gram dhal
1/2 Tsp	Raw Rice
1 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1/2 Tsp	Coriander seeds
4 or 5	Black pepper
2 Cloves	Garlic
4 or 5	small Onion or
1 small size	Onion
1 or 2	Green chilly
1 or 2	Red chilly
small piece	Ginger
1/2 Tsp	Salt
To Temper :
1/2 Tsp	Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp	Cumin seeds
1 Tsp	Urad dhal
1/4 Tsp	asafoetida powder
1	Red chilly, break into pieces
10	Curry leaves

Coriander leaves to garnish

Method :
Soak gram dhal and rice in a small bowl with 1/4 cup of water for an hour.
After it get soaked up, take all the given ingredients for masala in a mixer grinder and grind into a smooth paste.
Keep aside.

Take curd in a bowl and add a small piece of crushed ginger and 2 pinches of asafoetida.
Beat well with a ladle or spoon.
Tear 4 or 5 curry leaves and add into the bowl containing beaten curd.
Keep aside.

Remove the skin from the yam. Wash to remove mud and other impurities.

Chop into 1/2 inch cubes or any shape of equal thickness.

Keep the pieces immersed in water to avoid discoloration.

Take 1/2 cup of water in a pressure cooker.

Add a pinch of turmeric powder and 1/4 Tsp of salt.

Now take out the yam pieces from water and put into the cooker.

Pressure cook for a whistle. Immediately release the steam by lifting the weight from the nozzle.

Check whether it has been cooked soft.

If not cook for one more whistle.

Now add the prepared masala and simmer until the raw smell goes off.

Then add the beaten curd and reduce the flame to SIM position.

Adjust salt and simmer for another 8 to 10 minutes.

When done transfer into a serving bowl.

Heat a kadai on a stove over medium flame with a tsp of oil.

First splutter mustard seeds after the oil becomes hot.

Then add red chilly pieces, cumin seeds and urad dhal in the order.

Add asafoetida powder and curry leaves after urad dhal changes to golden color.

Turn off the stove and pour the tempering over the morekuzhambu.

Hot n spicy morekuzhambu is ready to serve!!

Take hot white rice in a plate add two to three ladle morekuzhambu and relish with any curry or pappad. This kuzhambu is one of the best side dish for hot paruppu sadam ( dhal rice ).

Note :

• After adding beaten curd the burner should be at SIM and turn off the stove just when it starts bubbling.

Other gravy recipes you might like to try

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Vadai Morekuzhambu	Senai [ Yam ] masala curry	Aviyal
kadappa	vazhaipoo kuzhambu

Yam Masala Curry

#YamMasalaCurry #SenaikizhanguMasalaCurry : Except for potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C, yam is a food with moderate nutrient density. Yam provides around 110 calories per 100 grams. It has good levels of potassium, manganese, thiamin, dietary fiber, while being low in saturated fat and sodium. Yam generally has a lower  glycemic index, about 54% of  glucose  per 150 gram serving, compared to potato products.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yam_(vegetable)

This is known as Senai kizhangu [சேனை கிழங்கு ] or some used to call it Kara karunai [ காரா கருணை ].
The uncooked yam when comes in cotact with skin causes itching in some varieties. Even after cooking some of them cause itching while eating. So it has to be checked before start cooking.
Here let me present a masala curry with yam.

Ingredients :
Yam cubes of 1/4 inch                            : 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder                                    : 1 pinch
Salt                                                        : 1/4 Tsp

For Masala :
Coconut scrap                                        : 3 Tsp
Cumin seeds                                           : 1/2 TSp
Fennel seeds                                          : 1/2 Tsp
Coriander seeds                                     : 1/4 Tsp
Red chilly                                               : 1 or 2
Garlic cloves                                           : 2
Small onion                                             : 4 to 6
Curry leaves                                           : 20 ( optional )
Coriander leaves                                    : 2 Tbsp ( optional )
Salt                                                        : 2 pinches ( adjust )

To Temper :
Mustard seeds                                        : 1/2 Tsp
Urad Dhal                                               : 1 Tsp
Oil                                                          : 1 Tsp

Method :
Take yam,salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker.
Add 1/4 cup of water and pressure cook for a whistle.

Release steam immediately and check whether cooked well.
The yam should be cooked well to avoid itching while consuming.
The yam should be cooked soft but firm, otherwise it might get mashed up while stir frying.
Drain the cooked water and transfer the cooked yam into a bowl. Keep aside.

Grind all the ingredients except onion with little water. After grinding well add onion.
Run the mixie for a few seconds only. Onions should not be ground into smooth paste.
Keep aside.

Keep a kadai on medium flame with a Tsp of oil.
Crackle mustard seeds and then add urad dhal [ Split Black gram ].
When urad dhal turns golden color add cooked yam. Saute for a minute.
Add the prepared masala and mix well.

Keep the burner at SIM position.
Stir at regular intervals till water content dries up and the masala fully coated over yam.

When the curry is ready transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves.

This is a very good side dish for white rice mixed with Rasam 


and also Sambar.


It also goes well with curd rice


and bisi bele bath.

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Senai Vathakuzhambu

#SenaiVathakuzhambu : #Kuzhambu is a Tamizh word and it means thick gravy. #Vathakuzhambu is the hot favorite of many and generally prepared using dried vegetables such as manathakkali, mango, brinjal and sundaikkai.
Here vathakuzhambu has been prepared using yam, small onion, garlic and sambar powder.
Let us see the method of preparation now.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup                             Yam nicely chopped
1 small amla size               Tamarind, soak in lukewarm water
15                                      Small onion, slice lengthwise
20 cloves                           Garlic, slice lengthwise
1                                        Drum stick, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1                                        Tomato, cut into pieces
10                                      Curry leaves
A small piece                      Jaggery

Powders to add :
3 Tsp Heaped                    Sambar powder
1 Tsp                                 Coriander powder
1/4 Tsp                              Turmeric powder
2 Tsp                                 Salt

To Temper :
1 Tsp                                Mustard seeds
1/2 Tsp                             Fenugreek
1 Tsp                                Gram dal
2 Tsp                                Ground nut
Small piece                       Asafoetida
3 Tsp                                Gingelly Oil ( Till/sesame oil )

Method :
Take a pressure cooker/pan with 1/2 cup of water. Keep aside.
Squeeze out juice from tamarind with 3/4 cup of water. Keep aside.
Keep a kadai with a Tsp of oil and heat over a medium flame.

First splutter mustard seeds and then add asafoetida, curry leaves, gram dal, ground nut.

Transfer into pressure cooker/pan.
Add a tsp of oil in the same kadai.
Now saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
Then add tomato pieces and saute for 2 minutes.

Transfer into the cooker.
Now saute yam pieces with a tsp of oil for 5 minutes.
Transfer into cooker.
Add all the powders given, drum stick pieces and salt.
Mix well after adding 1/2 cup of water.
Keep on a medium flame and bring it to boil.
Allow to simmer for 2 minutes.

Then add squeezed tamarind water.
Close the lid with weight on.
Pressure cook on high flame for a whistle.
Turn off the stove and open only after the steam subsides.
Now add jaggery piece and simmer for 3 minutes.

Transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with curry leaves.

An excellent side dish for paruppu sadam and paruppu podi mixed rice.
Take hot white rice in a plate. Add required quantity of yam vathakuzhambu and a tsp of gingelly oil.
Mix well with hand and enjoy with any stir fry or kara curry of your choice.






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Senai Special Kara Curry

#SenaiSpecialKaraCurry  #YamSpecialSpicyCurry : We have already seen a very simple way of doing Senai kizhangu kara curry. Sometimes senai get mashed up while flipping by a ladle. That problem will not happen when the curry is done in a special way. This special kara curry is generally prepared in marriage feasts. The cubed senai pieces are cooked and then fried in oil. Then the curry is prepared with onion, tomato and other masala powders. But I am going to use microwave to fry instead of frying in oil. Here comes the method.

Ingredients :

1 cup                                Senai [ Yam ] pieces
1 pinch                              Turmeric powder
1/4 Tsp                              Red chilly powder
1/2 Tsp                              Salt

For Curry :

1 small size                        Onion
1                                       Tomato
8                                       Curry leaves
small quantity                     Coriander leaves
1/2 Tsp                             Red chilly powder
1 pinch                              Turmeric powder

To Temper :
1/2 TSp                             Mustard seeds
1 Tsp                                 Urad dal
2 Tsp                                 Oil

Method :
Take pieces of senai kizhangu [yam ] in a pressure cooker.
Pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Immediately release pressure and check whether its cooked soft.
do not overcook.
Strain through a colander and transfer the cooked senai into a microwave safe bowl.

Add a tsp of oil and mix well
Microwave HIGH for a minute.
Take out. Mix once and again keep for another 1/2 minute.
The senai pieces have to be microwaved until they slightly turn to  golden color.
Keep aside.

Keep a kadai with oil on medium flame.
Crackle mustard and then add urad dal and allow to become golden color.
Then add curry leaves, a small quantity of coriander leaves, turmeric powder and chilly powder.
Now immediately add sliced onion and saute for 2 minutes.
Then add nicely chopped tomato pieces and saute for 3 minutes.

Now add microwaved senai and enough salt.
Mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
Since senai has already been cooked it is not necessary to keep it on fire for too long.

Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes :

• It is very important to cook senai properly to get a tasty kara curry.
• If senai pieces are over cooked they will get mashed up and spoil the texture of kara curry.
• The time taken to microwave depends on the amount of senai pieces taken.
• To make it spicy add some more quantity of red chilly.
• If microwave is not available fry cooked senai in oil. 

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Turkish berry masala curry

brinjal phata phat curry

cluster beans paruppu usili

bitter gourd paruppu masala curry

tender raw jackfruit curry

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Variety of Dishes for Lunch

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