Crispy Air-Fried Suran

This is elephant foot yam doing a convincing fish-fry impression. Crisp on the outside, soft within, loud on flavour. No deep frying, no mess and no compromise. The air fryer does the heavy lifting while the masala brings the attitude

Ingredients

• Elephant foot yam (Suran), peeled and sliced 300-350 g
• Kashmiri red chilli powder 1½ tsp
• Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Garam masala ½ tsp
• Ginger-garlic paste 1 tsp
• Lemon juice or vinegar 1 tbsp
• Rice flour 2 tbsp
• Gram flour (Besan) 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil (Mustard or groundnut works best) 1½ tbsp
• Curry leaves 1 small sprig

Preparation

• Lightly oil your palms before handling suran. Slice it into

5–6 mm thick pieces, similar to how you’d cut fish for frying. If you’re sensitive to raw yam, soak the slices in tamarind water for five minutes, rinse, and pat completely dry. Moisture is the enemy of crispness.

Marinade

• In a bowl, mix chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, ginger-garlic paste, salt, lemon juice, rice flour, besan and oil. You want a thick, grainy paste that clings. Add the yam slices and coat them properly, pressing the masala in. Let this rest for 10 minutes. Not essential, but strongly advised if you want that fish-fry depth.

Air frying

• Preheat the air fryer at 180°C for 3–4 minutes. Arrange the slices in a single layer. Air fry at 180°C for 18–22 minutes, flipping halfway. Lightly brush or spray oil after flipping. Add curry leaves in the last 5 minutes so they crisp without burning.

(For shallow frying, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes on each side)

Serving

• Serve straight out of the basket with sliced onions, lemon wedges, and green chutney. This works as a snack, a starter, or a side with simple dal-chawal.
• Crunchy, spicy, unapologetic. proof that vegetables can punch above their weight.