High summer repast in a jiffy: Steamed yam with aubergine pachadi

Pushpesh Pant

There is an old saying that reminds us that it is the singer and not the song that is important. We feel it is the same with cooking. The most ordinary ingredients can be transformed into sublime dishes by a gifted chef. At a recent Rivayat food fest at Oberoi Gurugram, Chef Prima Kurien treated us to boiled/steamed kappa (tapioca) sprinkled over with a bewitching pounded chutney prepared with chilli, tamarind and curry leaves. The culinary magic was spell-binding.

It is well known that this yam was imported by a ruler in Travancore to save his subjects from the pangs of hunger and to combat starvation during a famine a few centuries back. Since then, kappa has become a staple and is usually paired with fish curry at toddy shops and streetside eateries. The recipe lends itself extremely well to innovations and improvisation. You can enjoy it by substituting the kappa/yam with sweet potatoes, and even potatoes!

Chef Prima also served a very light and refreshing aubergine pachadi (raita) in a menu that understandably tilted towards seafood, fish, chicken and mutton. Take our word for this. Try the steamed yam with this pachadi or any other raita to rustle up a high summer repast in a jiffy.

The word chutney conjures up images of wet ground stuff. Down South, there is a plethora of dry powdered chutneys and uppakari. The dressing in kappa that blew our mind was minimalist and underscored the point that not only small but minuscule is also beautiful! We have fallen in love with the recipe and though our efforts have fallen short of Prima’s perfection, we are confident that practice will soon remove the imperfection. Do try it out.

Steamed yam with aubergine pachadi

Ingredients

• Yam of choice 400 gm
• (except jimikand/elephant yam)
• Dried red chilli flakes 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind extract 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves 4-5
• Honey (optional) 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• For pachadi
• Aubergines (long variety) 1-2
• Curd 250 ml
• Oil 1 tbsp

Method

• Steam or boil the yam/sweet potatoes. Peel and cut into large bite-sized pieces.
• Wash and pat dry the curry leaves. Dry roast on hot griddle.
• Put all ingredients for chutney in a mortar and pound with a pestle to blend.
• Drizzle the yam with this just before serving.
• Slice the aubergine into very thin discs. Sprinkle with a little salt and keep aside.
• Whisk the curd lightly. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and stir-fry the aubergine disks till crisp. Don’t overdo the frying.
• Top the curd with fried aubergine. This may look like a garnish but is an essential ingredient in pachadi. You should be able to taste and savour the vegetables as well as the dahi.
• For additional crunch, you could add jackfruit or banana chips.
• This can be plated as a starter/salad or a mid-morning snack as well.