YAM PORIYAL (CHENAI PORIYAL)

Om kasi visalakshy namah:

YAM PORIYAL (ELEPHANT FOOT, CHENAI, SURAN)

Chenai mezhukupuratti, chenai poriyal, chenai varuthathu, Chenai kooto , chenai erissery, chenai poricha kuzhambu , suran pattice etc. I love all these items.   

This is a simple and easy preparation and tasty too as a side dish for sambar rice, dal rice and chapati too.  Yam is also called as elephant foot, chenai, suran

yam poriyal (chena poriyal)

We can make various delicious items with this vegetables.

Preparation time:  15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves : 2-3

Ingredients:

¼ kg yam (suran, chenai, elephant foot)

1 pinch of turmeric powder

Salt as per taste

Tempering:

3 tbsp oil

1 tsp mustard seed (Kaduku, rai, mori)

1 tsp urid dal (ulutham parippu)

Few curry leaves

1 red chilli broken

A pinch of asafetida

Method:

Wash and remove the skin of the yam

Cut into cubes, wash and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, urid dal, curry leaves, red chilli, asafetida.

When it is done, add the cubes yam in it.

Add turmeric powder, salt, mix well and cover it and cook for 10-15 minutes.

In between check and stir it.

When it is done, remove from gas.

Garnish with coriander leaves and add a dash of lime juice.

The above is one simple method.

NOTE:  sometimes, the yam gets cooked fast.  Sometimes, it does not.  At that time, you will have to add little water or when you cover with a plate ensure that the plate is having enough space to add water on top of it.(deep bottom plate)  This way also it can be cooked.

2^nd method:

2 tbsp grated coconut and a green chilli, ¼ tsp cumin seeds.

Grind the same coarsely and mix it with the poriyal.

3^rd method:

Add  about 1 ½ tsp of dosa milagai podi  and mix well.

dosa milagai podi see the link.

4^th method:

Add red chilli powder according to spice requirement and stir well before removing from stove.

Serve as a side dish for sambar rice, dal rice, curd rice and chapatti.

Health Benefits Of Eating Yams 

·         Wild yam has been used as a form of traditional herbal Chinese medicine for a long time. It is mainly used for the proper functioning of the renal and the female endocrine system. For instance, its root has been traditionally given to lactating women. However, there is no clear evidence to support this theory and studies are still going on to establish a connection between diosgenins (a chemical substance found in yam) and the female endocrine function.

·         Wild yam also helps decrease water retention and alleviates nausea during pregnancy.

·         Yams have high levels of Vitamin B6, which is a popular supplement for women suffering from depression due to premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Regular intake of Vitamin B6 is also beneficial against a number heart conditions and stroke, as they help in the breakdown of a chemical substance called homocysteine. High levels of this substance cause direct damage to the walls of the blood vessels, leading to a number of health problems.

·         The rate of conversion of the complex carbohydrates and fiber, present in yam, into sugar is very slow and their absorption rate into the blood stream is also very slow. Thus, they help maintain the blood sugar level. In addition, due to their high fiber content, yams help control the body weight, by the uniform distribution of weight without transferring extra weight to the hip area or the waistline.

·         Yams are rich in manganese, which is an essential factor for the metabolism of carbohydrate and antioxidant defenses. It is also a co-factor in a number of enzymes that are related to the production of energy.

·         Mexican wild yam is a very effective antispasmodic and is used in conditions like menstrual cramps, pain, improper circulation, neuralgia, nerve tension, muscle tension, abdominal and intestinal cramps and even in inflammatory stages of RA.

·         Yam supplies elements that are important for optimal glandular function and benefits the respiratory, urinary and nervous systems.

·         Another positive trait of yam is that it helps control high blood pressure or hypertension. This is because of the fact that yams are a good source of potassium, which helps maintain the blood pressure level.

·         Yams also aid the process of digestion, by dilating vessels and stimulating bile flow.

Caution

·         Intake of wild yam can cause certain side effects, like vomiting, diarrhea, and headache.

·         People with certain conditions, like liver diseases, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer, should be careful while using products made of wild yam.