There are many varieties of yam like the purple yam, wild yam, chinese yam and it’s mostly mistaken for sweet potato by some. I was always skeptical about buying this vegetable as it is mostly popular for “Itchy Throat”. I remember my mum used to prepare suran ki sabzi and she made dry masala type sabzi which was finger licking delicious. Believe me, its a perfect substitute for non veg apart from soy bean.

So I finally decided to buy one as I was keen on trying out a recipe as my taste buds were way too much out of control and yearning for some delicious snack. These can be eaten for breakfast as starters or even as a tea time snack. So here’s my recipe to kill your hunger pangs and also some tips on how to handle yam while peeling and preparing it.

Ingredients:

• 1 yam (washed and peeled)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 boiled potato
• 1/2 cup roasted besan/gram flour
• 1/2 cup rice flour
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
• 2-3 finely chopped green chillies
• 1/2 cup chopped coriander
• salt per taste
• oil or ghee for cooking

Method:

• Cut peeled yam into two or four pieces as convenient. In a pressure cooker add yam and adequate water. Add some salt and one tbsp lemon juice.
• Cover with the lid and pressure cook for 1 whistle and allow the steam to settle automatically. You can check if a knife if the yam is soft enough to be mashed.
• In a pan, add besan and roast it for around five minutes or till its gets slightly darker and fragrant. Once done, remove it in a bowl and allow it to cool.
• In a big bowl, mash yam and potato, and all ingredients except oil and prepare a mixture. It shouldn’t be too mushy, if it is so feel free to add some rice flour or some bread crumbs to it.
• Now grease your palms with some oil and shape the mixture into small cutlets. (size and shape as you desire, I have prepared bite size)
• In a pan, heat some oil and shallow fry these cutlets till both sides are nice and golden brown n colour.
• Your delicious tikkis are ready to be relished over a cup of tea or coffee. Sprinkle some chat masala and serve with chutney or ketchup or any sauce of your choice.