Suran (Yam) With Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves Curry.

Spicy Suran (Soornu / Yam) With Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves Curry ……. This is a curry that just about happened on the spur of the moment ….. Yumz …. Really a delicious curry that goes well with roti / paratha / puri /dosa or even as a side dish with Dalitoy and Rice …..

Curry with suran / yam is something that I very rarely do. Usually I add it with some other pulses etc. and prepare curry the traditional way or prepare bhaji / upkari / talasani. Today somehow my mood was in full swing and with old melodious and mesmerizing hindi film songs playing in the background through my music system, I went about preparing this dish in full swing. I had decided to prepare a dish using the suran I had bought from the market. I was just wondering what to do when my eyes fell on the bundle of methi leaves I had picked and kept ready last night. You see I had also bought a large bundle of methi leaves as its in season now. I was just bored with the usual paratha or curries that are prepared with these leaves. While adding in the ingredients for the masala for the preparation of suran curry, it just crossed my mind that as I was adding in a few methi seeds along with other spices to the masala why not add some fresh leaves too. Curiosity kills the rat. Once a idea crops up in my mind then I just can’t wait to finish the task. So went about chopping the leaves finely and added them while cooking to the curry. The home was filled with such a lovely aroma, that I myself could not resist tasting the dish the minute I finished it. Eurekha .. what an awesome taste the dish had. Now this is going to be a must in my list often. Maybe I will do some more variations in ingredients and try out. I simply love fusion cooking …… Yumz.

Slice off the inedible sides of the suran / yam and cut them into cubes. Say about 300 – 400 gms. Wash them properly in plenty of water so that they are cleared off from all the muddy particles. Drain and keep them ready.

Pick only the leaves from methi bunch. Discard the stems. Chop them finely. Wash in plenty of water. Squeeze out the excess water. Allow to drain on an colander. Keep this ready aside. You should have about 2 packed cups of the leaves after being chopped finely. Here I have to mention that some people apply salt to the leaves and keep them for 10-15 minutes, then squeeze out the water. It is said that the bitterness in the leaves go away if you do it this way. I never have done this to date. Its my strong belief, that nature give us every edible product be it fruits or veggies completely in correct form, the way we should consume it. And the same should be consumed in similar pattern. I take it that the bitterness in the methi leaves is good for health specially during winter season. After all Nature knows what is best. You may follow that procedure if you wish. 

Put the suran / yam cubes and the finely chopped methi leaves in a thick bottomed kadai. Add in about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook covered till almost done. Keep stirring in between. When half done add in about 100 gms of grated jaggery / gud to the suran and methi and mix well. Cover and cook til the jaggery has melted and the suran is just about 80% cooked. Do not overcook or make it mushy. When the suran gets cooked the methi leaves added along will already have been cooked. 

For Masala : Meanwhile in a small kadai, heat 1 tblsp of oil, when hot add in 2 tsp of coriander seeds, ¼ tsp of methi / fenugreek seeds, (I have decreased the amount of methi seeds as I have added in fresh methi leaves) and fry for a few seconds. Now add in 2 tsp of hing powder, ½ tsp of haldi / turmeric powder, ½ tsp of mustard seeds followed by 3 tblsp of less spicy red chilly powder. Fry for a minute. Do not allow to burn. Sprinkle some water if necessary. Remove and let it cool a little bit. Now add in about 1 heaped cup of freshly grated coconut, a small marble sized tamarind piece and grind to a very smooth paste with little bit of water. The masala should be smooth. 

Add the ground masala to the cooked suran – methi and mix well. Add in water to make it into a thick consistency gravy. Do not add more water, the texture of the gravy should be thick. Add salt to taste and mix well. Cook on medium heat till bubbles appear on top. Now lower the heat and simmer the curry for 5-10 minutes. Remove from fire and keep aside covered.

For Tempering : Heat a small pan / skillet with 1 tsp of oil, when hot add in 1 tsp of mustard seeds. When the mustard starts to splutter add in 8-10 fresh curry leaves. Fry well for a few seconds and pour over the curry.

Once the suran – methi leaves curry is tempered, cover with a tight lid and keep covered for about 10-20 minutes asides for the flavours to seep in. Done. The Spicy Suran (Yam) and Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves curry is ready. Serve this curry hot with Chapati / Roti / Paratha / Poori / Dosa or even as a side dish along with Dalitoy and Rice. I have yet to relish this with panpolo / neer dosa. But I am sure it will go very well with the same. This is a very spicy dish, you may increase or decrease the amount of spiciness in the curry. However, when serving as side dish it goes well a lit bit spicier. Enjoy with any dish of your choice.