Since my mum is with me, I got her to make this dish which comes to Tamil Nadu via Kerala. This is made of Elephant’s Foot or Yam which looks like a stone but when cooked is a yummy dish which can replace potatoes in a dish.

Eriseri

Ingredients:

• 2 cups yam, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup raw bananas, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp grated coconut
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 tsp peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 8-10 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pan or pressure cooker, cook the cubed yam and raw banana with the turmeric powder till they are completely cooked and soft. Keep  aside
• In a small pan, heat 1 tsp oil and fry the cumin seeds, peppercorns and red chillies till they are brown and keep aside. When cool, grind it to a smooth paste with 1/4 cup grated coconut and keep aside.
• Now add this paste to the cooked vegetables and season it with salt and let it come to a rolling boil. When the gravy is as thick as you like it, remove from the flame and keep aside.
• In the same smaller pan, heat the remaining oil and add the mustard seeds and when it splutters, add the curry leaves and the balance coconut and fry until the coconut becomes golden and crisp.
• Pour this over the cooked vegetable, adjust seasoning and serve hot with plain rice. This also goes well with any Indian flatbread.