Surna Koot/ Yam fritters in spicy coconut paste

Jaya.V.Shenoy’s Konkani cookbook is very famous for its authentic Amchigele recipes. I am sure all Konkani household people carry her book along when they start staying away from family and have to cook themselves. My mom didn’t have one as she never needed I guess she new almost alal dishes mentioned in the book. I refer to the book only when I can’t reach amma ;). Aps Kitchen has focused on amchigele recipes which will be useful for all who want to learn amchigele recipes.

Surna Koot is one such authentic amchi dish which I will be posting today. Surnu/Surna is Yam/elephant foot, it is fried and then added in a spicy coconut paste. Let’s get cooking!

Here is what we need for Surna koot:

INGREDIENTS:-

Ingredients:

250 grams yam
3/4 cup freshly grated coconut(if you dint get fresh use frozen)
4-5 red chillies
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon tamarind
½  teaspoon mustard + ¼ th teaspoon
Small piece of asafoetida
4 tablespoons of coconut oil, preferably (if you do not wish add oil of your choice)
Salt to taste
8-10 curry leaves

Method:

Preparing the Yam

Peel the yam and chop the yam into small dices. The pieces of yam shrink on frying, so make sure you don’t cut tiny dices. Keep the dices a little big.

After chopping the yam, wash the yam dices.*check notes

Drain all the water and apply enough salt to the yam and allow it to marinate for an hour or 2

Frying the yam:

Heat a frying pan, add coconut oil(preferably),  Squeeze the yam pieces very well and add these pieces into it and fry them on medium heat.

Do not panic while adding yam in the oil it bubbles and that is normal.

Keep stirring it in intervals.

When the bubbles almost drop down keep and eye on the yam fritters as we don’t want them to burn.

While the yam has almost puffed up and is crisp remove it on a tissue paper/kitchen towel and allow it cool completely.

Preparing the masala:

Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil(use the one we used for frying yam) in a frying pan. Add fenugreek seeds,coriander seeds, ¼ th tsp mustard seeds, asafoetida, red chillies and fry for few minutes until you get a nice aroma. Cool this completely.

Once cooled grind them into a smooth paste with tamarind and grated coconut using just as much as water required to form a very smooth paste, the koot is usually thick in consistency. 

Transfer the ground masala into a bowl and keep it aside.

 For the Tempering:

Heat oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add curry leaves Fry for few seconds and put off flame.

Add the seasoning to the ground masala in the bowl and mix well.

Assembling:

While everything is ready we need to add the fried Surnu/yam into the masala/chutney and mix well. The addition of masala is done only half an hour before serving the dish is what Amma tells me always, it just because the yam pieces needs to be a little crunchy yet flavourful and not mushy.

Serve with Dal and rice.

Note:  While cutting or washing the yam sometimes they itch so you can apply lime on your hands before and after cutting and washing them.We can even bake the Salted and Squeezed yam at 180 deg cel for 10-15 minutes or till crisp(make sure you drizzle some coconut oil), I have tried it this way too.

Hope all like this recipe and try it soon :).

I have even made  Surna Kismuri for  which I will post recipe soon 

Till then Happy Cooking, 

Aps