Fried elephant foot yam, also known as suran in Hindi, is a crispy spiced veggie dish made with simple, wholesome ingredients. It’s delicious for a snack or side, and pairs great with any number of main courses. Follow my step-by-step instructions with photos to make the perfect yam fry every time!
Table of Contents
About Yam Fry
These crunchy and flavorful yam fries are going to be your new favorite way to eat yams. Also called suran fodi (in Konkani language) or fried suran, this recipe includes fresh elephant foot yams sliced and spiced, dredged and then fried for a satisfying side or snack.
To get a perfectly crispy outside and tender inside, I coat the marinated suran slices with rava (also known as sooji, semolina or cream of wheat) and then lightly fry in oil on the stovetop. This easy, tried-and-true process creates the best yam fry!
Though the recipe here is made with elephant foot yam, you can easily replicate it with any variety of yam. In a similar way, I prepare potato, plantain and Brinjal Fries as well.
I make these yam fries often as a side dish with my favorite main courses. They go great with nearly any Indian rice and lentil dishes, and also with any delicious Indian Vegetable Recipes.
Note: I usually buy fresh yams, and peel and chop them before making this recipe. But you also can use frozen yams that are thawed for less prep work.
Love yam? Here are two more recipes for you to try:
- Kalan: Yam and plantains in a flavorful coconut yogurt sauce
- Yam Chips – Shallow fried spiced elephant foot yam chips
How to make Yam Fry
Prep Yam
1. First, thoroughly rinse a small-sized yam (about 160 grams or 5.64 ounces) in water removing any layer of mud with a brush. Peel the skins off, and rinse again. I use a peeler to peel the skin.
Cut into thin slices that are about 3 to 4 mm thick (¼ inch) and quarter to make chips like shown in the photos below. If the pieces are too thick they will take longer to fry.
Total you want about 1.5 cups of yam slices.
Note: Some varieties of Elephant foot yam will have a lot itchiness and to avoid it, rub some coconut oil (or any edible oil) on your palms lightly before you slice the yams. Or you can wear gloves when cutting the yam.
Marinate Yam
2. Place the yam pieces in a bowl and add 1.5 teaspoons of lemon juice, or more to taste. You can use vinegar or tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice, if you prefer.
Adding a sour ingredient minimizes the itchiness in the yam. So do not skip on this step if the yam you are using is itchy.
3. Then add ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder.
Kashmiri chilli powder is not as spicy as regular chili powder, so if you are using regular chili powder I recommend adding ½ teaspoon to begin with. Add up to a full teaspoon for a greater spicy kick.
4. Mix very well so that the lemon juice and spice powders have coated each yam slice very well.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Mix again very well. Now cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and let the yam slices marinate for 10 minutes.
Dredge Marinated Yam
7. When the marinated yam slices are just about ready, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Use any neutral oil for frying.
Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of fine rava (semolina, sooji, cream of wheat), besan, or rice flour in a shallow bowl or plate.
Corn starch, fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour also work well in the recipe. Do not be tempted to use breadcrumbs as they simply won’t stick onto the yam slices.
8. Place the slices of yam (suran) into the dish.
9. Flip the yam slices back and forth to coat with the rava.
Make Yam Fry
10. Shake off the excess coating back into the dish, and then carefully place the suran slices in the hot oil in a skillet or frying pan. Work in 2 or 3 batches if you need to so that the pan is not overcrowded.
11. Fry over medium heat until golden brown on one side.
12. Then turn over, and fry the second side until it becomes crisp and light golden as well.
13. Continue to flip back and forth a couple more times, so that the yam fry is evenly cooked on both sides.
14. Use a spatular or slotted spoon to remove the fried suran slices and place them on plates lined with paper towels.
What to serve with Yam Fries
15. Serve the yam fries hot or warm as a side with your favorite Indian main course. Garnish with some chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, if you like.
Although not traditional, I also sometimes like to sprinkle some black salt or chaat masala for an extra flavor.
Expert Tips
- Scaling: This yam fry recipe can easily be halved, doubled or tripled.
- Itching: Some varieties of elephant foot yam will cause itching on your hands after peeling and slicing. In this case, spread some coconut oil or any edible oil lightly on your palms before peeling and chopping the yam.
- Sour Ingredients: Sometimes after eating yam, an itchiness and irritation can be felt on the tongue and throat. Adding acidic ingredients helps to reduce this itchiness in the yam significantly. So in this recipe, you can add some souring ingredients while marinating. I usually add lemon juice or vinegar, but you can add tamarind sauce or kokum extract.
- Semolina: Instead of rava (sooji) use rice flour, fine cornmeal, all-purpose flour or besan (gram flour). Do not use bread crumbs, however, as then you will need to batter coat the yam slices to make the bread crumbs stick.
- Spices and seasonings: Red chili powder and lemon juice can be added less or more according to your taste preferences.
- Frying: You can even shallow fry or deep fry if you want.
More Easy Vegetable Sides!
Okra Recipes
Capsicum Recipes
Vegetable Recipes
Vegetable Recipes
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Yam Fry (Suran Fry)
Ingredients
- 160 grams elephant foot yam (suran) or 1.5 cups yam slices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or sweet paprika – can add as required
- 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar, apple cider or white vinegar
- salt as required
- 3 to 4 tablespoons rava – finer variety (sooji or semolina)
- 3 tablespoons oil or as needed – for frying
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the suran very well in water. Scrape off the mud attached to the skin with a brush. Then peel the suran. Rinse again very well to get rid of any soil or mud if there.
- Slice suran in slices of 3 to 4 mm thickness. You will need 1.5 cups yam slices. Do not make thick slices as then they take a long time to fry. For thick slices it’s better to deep fry.
Marination
- Add 1.5 teaspoons lemon juice. For a sour taste in the fried slices, you can add 3 teaspoons lemon juice. You can use vinegar, or tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice.
- Then add turmeric powder and kashmiri red chilli powder. If using regular red chili powder, then you can add ½ teaspoon of it or if you want a spicy taste then add 1 teaspoon.
- Mix very well so that the lemon juice and spice powders have coated each suran slice very well.
- Add salt as required. Mix again very well. Cover and let the suran slices get marinated for 10 minutes.
Making yam fry
- Before frying heat 3 tablespoons oil in a skillet or frying pan
- Take 3 to 4 tablespoons rava (semolina) in a small plate. Swap rice flour or chickpea flour with semolina.
- Take each slice and place it on the rava.
- Coat the yam slices with the rava. Shake of the excess rava on the plate and then place the yam slices in the oil.
- Fry on medium heat. Let one side become crisp and light golden.
- Then turn over fry the second side until it becomes crisp and light golden.
- Flip a couple of times more for even frying.
- Fry till the yam slices are crisp and golden. This way fry the yam slices in batches of two or three. Add more oil if needed.
- Remove the fried yam slices and place them on kitchen paper towels.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve yam fries hot or warm as a side dish with any Indian meal. You can garnish with few coriander leaves if you want.
- Although not traditional, but at times I also sprinkle some black salt on the yam fries for extra flavor. You can sprinkle some chaat masala if you prefer.
Notes
- Scaling: This yam fry recipe can easily be halved, doubled or tripled.
- Itching: Some varieties of elephant foot yam will cause itching on your hands after peeling and slicing. In this case, spread some coconut oil or any edible oil lightly on your palms and then peel and chop the yam.
- Sour Ingredients: Sometimes after eating, itchiness and irritation can be felt on the tongue and throat from the yams, but adding acidic ingredients helps to reduce this significantly. So in this recipe, you can add some souring ingredients while marinating. I usually add lemon juice or vinegar, but you can add tamarind sauce or kokum extract.
- Semolina: Instead of fine semolina (rava) use rice flour, fine cornmeal, all-purpose flour or besan (gram flour). Do not use bread crumbs, however, as then you will need to batter coat the yam slices to make the bread crumbs stick.
- Spices and seasonings: Red chili powder and lemon juice can be added less or more according to your taste preferences.
- Frying: You can even shallow fry or deep fry if you want.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Yam Fry recipe post from the archives first published in August 2017 has been republished and updated on 27 March 2021.
Yummy:-)
I am not getting notifications nowadays.What might be the reason?!!!
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