Suran (Elephant Foot Yam) Ki Sabji (Bihari Style)

Servings: 3-4
Preparation time: 5-6 minutes.
Boiling time: 10 minutes.
Frying time: 5-6 minutes.
Cooking time: 14-15 minutes.
Total time: 46 minutes.

In Bihar, “Suran (Elephant Foot Yam) Ki Sabji (Bihari Style)” is must during the festival of Deepawali. On this auspicious occasion, onion and garlic are not used.

Keeping the preparation simple and satvik, mustard seeds, green chillies, and regular spices are used to bring out the bold and earthy flavour of suran.

This traditional way of cooking reflects both devotion and taste, making suran sabji an essential and cherished part of the Deepawali meal.

People eat suran on Deepawali because it is believed to be an auspicious vegetable symbolising wealth, prosperity, and the unending cycle of good fortune.

According to tradition, suran represents abundance and stability, making it especially significant during this festival of light and new beginnings. Including suran in the Deepawali meal is seen as a way to invite prosperity into the home and start the year ahead with positivity, blessings, and hope.

The sabji has a bold, earthy taste, often balanced with mustard oil. This dish is especially loved in winter and is usually enjoyed with Steamed Rice, Poori or Roti, making it a comforting and authentic part of Bihari home cooking.

Ingredients:

Suran (Elephant Foot Yam): 300 gm
Ginger: 2” piece
Tomato: 1 no. (medium size)
Green Chilli: 2 no.
Black Pepper: 10-12 no.
Cinnamon: 2” piece
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
Whole Coriander: 1 tablespoon
Cumin: 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard oil/oil: 4-5 tablespoon
Lemon: half
Mustard seed: 1 tablespoon (preferably yellow colour)
Thymol seed/ajwain: ½ teaspoon
Red chilli power: 1 teaspoon

Preparation:

Clean and peel off the suran, wash thoroughly, Chop them into big slices. Boil it, till done. (You can boil it in open vassal, pressure cooker or microwave).
Dry grind whole coriander, mustard seed, Ajwain, black pepper and pinch of salt together, then add ginger, green chilli, tomato in it. Pour 2 table spoon of water and again grind for a minute. Make fine paste all together and keep aside.

Method:

Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in fry pan on high flame till smoke starts; stir fry the boiled Suran on medium flame for 2-3 minutes in batches as much as can be accommodated in oil, turn to other side until golden brown colour appears, take out, keep aside.
Put remaining oil; add cumin and cinnamon; allow it to sputter for few seconds. Reduce to low flame; add prepared paste; fry the masala on low flame for 2-3 minutes or until the moisture of wet masala dries up, add salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder and continue to fry for a minute to get golden brown.
Add fried Suran, continue to fry for couple of minutes.
Add 300 ml water (as per gravy thickness requirement), boil it for couple of minutes, put off the flame.
Add lemon juice. Serve with Rice or Chapatti.