Kachil or Greater Yam is in season now, Kachil puzhungiyathu is boiled yam and is a popular traditional and healthy food which can be cooked without any oil. The green chili dipping suace is so easy to prepare and there is no cooking involved. Just pop some shallots or button onions, green chilies, and curry leaves and either crush them with a mortar and pestle or grind coarsely and pour in fresh coconut oil along with some salt. Mix well and serve.
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Boiled Yam and Green Chili Sauce
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Adjust chili ingredients based on flavor preference.
Ingredients
Yams
- Kachil/Greater Yam: 1/2 kg
- Salt: 1 tsp or as needed.
Sauce
- Green Chilies: 10 to 12
- Shallots:: A handful or 1 small onion chopped roughly.
- Curry leaves: 1 sprig.
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coconut oil.: 2 to 3 tbsp.
Instructions
Yams
- Scrape the skin and slice, wash thoroughly.
- Put it in the cooker, add water and salt. Close the cooker and place it over the heat. After a boil simmer for 3 to 4 min and when the steam subsides, open the pot and strain the water.
Sauce
- Put everything except the coconut oil into the food processor bowl and grind coarsely. Or use a mortar and pestle.
- Remove it into a bowl and mix in the fresh coconut oil.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Indian
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/boiled-yam-and-green-chili-sauce/
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kachil and how is it different from the yams sold in Western supermarkets?
Kachil, or Greater Yam, is a seasonal tuber that comes in during winter. It has a denser, starchier flesh than the orange-fleshed sweet potato often called yam in Western stores. You scrape the skin rather than peel it, and it needs thorough washing after slicing.
Why use fresh coconut oil and not regular cooking oil in the sauce?
Fresh coconut oil gives the sauce its character. You grind the green chilies, shallots, and curry leaves coarsely, then pour the coconut oil in raw at the end. There is no cooking involved, so the clean flavor of fresh coconut oil comes through directly.
How long does the yam cook in the pressure cooker?
Bring the water and salt to a boil in the cooker, then simmer for 3 to 4 minutes once pressure builds. When the steam subsides, open the pot and drain. Overcooking turns it mushy, so err on the short side.
