Almost at the finish line for the A-Z Blogging Marathon this month. We are in the letter Y, and there only one more post to finish this 26 post month long marathon! And I haven’t a clue what to post for Z ;-)…

Anyway, coming to Y, there was no doubt that it should be yam based recipe. Yam features a lot in Kerala recipes. In olden days, this was one of the regular backyard vegetables. This on its own, or paired with raw bananas, are cooked in many ways.

Yam is one of the basic vegetables for Avial. Its also used in Erisseri, Kalan, Koottu curry, Mezhukkupiratti etc. Yam mezhukkupiratti is a really tasty dish.

I used to avoid buying yam to avoid the messy cleaning up. But now, this month’s BM has changed it for me. I am no more lazy to buy/clean this veggie now :-)

I am scared of deep frying and am slowly getting over the fear. My son loves poori and I am learning how to make those. I dump the poori into the hot oil and then run for cover to avoid the oil splash. Things are def improving, though :).

My husband tells me that making pappadam is the same. In fact he points out that making pappadam is easier as I have to just fry and not make them from scratch.

Here, I have deep fried the yam cubes and served them as upperi. I made these for the sadya as well My son and my husband loved it as only deep fried stuff lovers can do!

Ingredients:

• Yam, cubed         :     1 cup (for 2 people)
• Oil                            :     to deep fry
• Salt
• Turmeric
• Water

Method:

This is best prepared fresh, as it becomes soft (for me it did) after sometime.

1. Wash, clean and dice the yam.
2. Mix a pinch of turmeric powder (optional) and salt with 2 tbsp water. Keep aside.
3. Heat the oil for frying. Add the yam in batches and when almost done, sprinkle the salt water (this is how it is done but I was scared to try it. I am still learning how to deep fry. So I added salt finally after the upperi was fried). Take off the oil and drain in a colander laid with tissue papers.
4. Finish the rest of the yam in batches. Serve the upperi with rice. This pairs very well with lemon rasam.

Previous posts in this series, from A to Z :

1. A – Avial, Ada Pradhaman, Achinga Payar – Chena Mezhukkupiratti
2. B – Beetroot Kichadi, Beet root thoran, Beans Thoran
3. C  – Carrot Thoran, Cabbage Thoran
4. D – Daal – Parippu Curry
5. E – Erisseri – Chena & Mathan Vanpayaru
6. F – Fruit Pachadi
7. G – God’s Own Country – Kerala
8. H – How to Serve a Sadya
9. I – Inji Puli
10. J – Jackfruit Payasam – Chakka Payasam
11. K – Kalan & Koottu Curry
12. L – Lemon Rasam
13. M – Mambazha Pulisseri & Mathan Pachadi
14. N – Neer Moru/ButterMilk
15. O – Olan
16. P – Payasam & Pookkalam
17. Q – Quaker Oats Payasam
18. R – Rice and Rasam
19. S – Sambar
20. T – Thenga paal
21. U – Upperi
22. V – Vegetable Cutting
23. W- Wheat Payasam
24. X – Xtra Tips for Preparing a Sadya
25. Y – Yam Fry

Logo courtesy : Preeti

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 32 

Linking this to Valli’s Side Dish Mela.