Suran & Dal Curry (Elephants foot with lentil curry)

I love this vegetable but I make it rarely as cleaning this vegetable is a big task. You cannot use bare hands to clean or cut as your hands or any part of the skin touches, It will give you a itchy feeling and then the whole body will start scratching. I hate this itchy part. I use gloves but still that itchy feeling is still behind my mind. Somehow I can still sense itchy feeling.

Please do take care but If by any chance your hands or body gets scratchy rub your hands for 2-3 minutes with a small ball of tamarind and you will see the itchiness gone. Then wash your hands with warm water and handwash.

600 gms of Suran (Elephants foot) (Remove the skin & cut into small cubes)



3/4 cup Masoor Dal (pink lentil)
1/2 onion sliced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3 tbsp oil
8 flakes of garlic roughly chopped
few sprigs of curry leaves

Masala for grinding

5 dry red chillies
6 black peppercorns
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 med. size ball of tamarind
4 tsp dessicated coconut
2 tsp of coconut milk powder
2 flakes of garlic
1/2 med. onion chopped

Grind the above to a smooth paste with water and keep it aside.

In a pressure cooker add the washed dal, sliced onion, salt, turmeric, Cubed Suran with 3 cups of water on slow flame.



Put off the flame after 1 whistle. Do not open for another 10 minutes.

Now add the ground smooth masala paste in the pressure cooker (cooked mixture of suran & dal). Add 2 cups of water and let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Check if the suran is cooked and also adjust the salt.

Take a small frying pan, add 3 tbsp oil, once hot ad the chopped garlic and fry till brown, add the curry leaves. Now temper the curry with this fragrant oil.



Enjoy with papad, lemon pickle & plain rice. Simple & delicious comforting food.