Elephant yam / Chena Undhiyu

My sister has a great collection of magazine recipes. Last time when I visited her she gave me a book made with some of her collections. I haven't bought a cook book yet except the one which I brought from home which is really a simple one with only 5o pages.. :) That one they bought just to help an old man who was selling it..I plan to try out some recipes from sis' collection and to post them here for my readers. I have few special readers , some newly wedded girls who do not know much cooking and would send lovely messages for helping them.
I prepared this for lunch and when DH came home, I told him to guess what is the main veg in the dish. He said many vegetable's names except the real one. That time a friend phoned him and so he said to him that he couldn't understand what is the veg in the dish. The friend R said - just say Chena (chumma chenannu parayeda.. :D) ...and it was correct!

Yam / Chena Undhiyu ( A Gujarathi dish )
Yam / chena 250 gm
shallots / chuvannulli 10
green chilly 4
curry leaves 1 fig
garlic cloves 2
coconut grated 1/2 cup
mustard seeds 1 tsp
coconut oil 2 tbsp
salt

Peel,chop and wash yam. Peel shallots and garlic. Crush them together.Crush or pound yam, green chillies, curry leaves and coconut together. The original recipe says to pound them in a mortar.Mix with salt.I just chopped them in the food processor. Heat coconut oil, allow mustard seeds to splutter.Saute small onion-garlic mixture in this for a while. Add the pounded mixture into this and stir. Keep covered on a low flame stirring occasionally. Have with rice or kanji..!!
Recipe from - Aramam magazine
Recipe by - Mrs. Shareefa.
Sent to RCI Gujarat hosted by Orugallu.net

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Chena-Muthira / Yam-Horse gram Erissery

How to prepare Chena Muthira erissery
Chena / elephant yam 2 1/2 cups
horse gram 3/4 cup
coconut grated 1 cup
small onions/ chuvannulli 4
cumin seeds / jeerakam 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
pepper powder or chilli powder 1 tsp
curry leaves few
dried red chillies 1 or 2
mustard seeds
coconut grated 1 tbsp
coconut oil
salt

You can cook this in two methods.
Boil horse gram with little salt until half cooked.
Cut and clean yam. Add to the half cooked horse gram with turmeric and chilli powders and enough salt. Cook until done.

Heat little coconut oil. Roast the grated coconut with chopped small onions , cumin seeds until the coconut is slightly brown. Don't roast for too long. Blend this with little water and pour to the cooked yam - horse gram mixture. When it begins to boil remove from fire.

Heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, saute curry leaves and dried red chillies and 1 tbsp grated coconut. Do this for a while until the coconut changes color and pour the mixture into the curry.

You can do this without roasting coconut. For that recipe follow the Pumpkin/red cow peas - Mathanga payar Erissery recipe..

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Chena Varuthathu / Yam fries

Chena varuthathu has a special place in Kerala sadhya. It is usually served with the other sadhya vibhavangal. A simple and easy to make side dish. Preparing method may vary in different places, this is the way we do at home.

How to prepare Chena/ yam fries
chena / elephant yam pieces 1 cup
turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
red chilly powder 1 teaspoon or more
garlic ginger paste 1 teaspoon
fennel seed powder 1/4 teaspoon
salt
oil for frying

Mix everything together. Deep fry till you get golden brown fried yam.

Read more about the cuisine of Kerala.

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