Packed with nutrients, this yam grows in Goa during the monsoons

This year, the monsoon rains have battered Goa like a tornado, and left a trail of fallen trees, landslides and flooded rivers, rivulets and streams.

In such a scenario, vegetable prices have obviously shot up and people are looking for alternatives like kuddukichi bhaji from Celosia argeratum, talkuleachi bhaji from Cassia tora, alloo bhaji of Colocasia esculenta the new fronds of the ankur or Acrostychium aureus and even leaves of drumstick or Moringa oleifera among the traditional vegetables.

The new shoots of the Amorphophallus paeoniifolius and its underground tuber, known as ‘Elephant foot yam’, or Surann, are also in demand.

Elephant foot yam belongs to a genus that has about two hundred species with a peculiar shaped inflorescence. Many persons think that botany is boring and that botanists are without imagination or humour, but that is not the case.

The generic name of this is derived from two Greek words: amorphos meaning ‘misshapen’ and phallus referring to the ‘male genital organ’ because that is what the botanist thought the flower looked like! The biggest one is the ‘Titan arum’ or A titanium found in Indonesia.

Elephant foot yam is a perennial plant that can grow upto two metres tall, or more, and thrives as an understory crop in kulaghar or coconut plantations and forests.

It produces flowers only once biannually. It is perhaps one of the ugliest flowers in the world, and it stinks very badly when it blooms open in order to attract insects for pollination.

The fruiting stalk resembles a corn cob and is locally known as vajramuth or izurmuth. It is a favourite among birds, and is often used as bait to catch koel or parakeets.

Surann can be harvested annually or every alternate year when it is due to flower. Flowering uses the energy stored in the yam, thereby reducing its weight and size. The tuber can be stored for months in the soil or in the house after harvest.

This root crop is a power house of nutrients. It can prevent muscle cramps in the legs and reduce the risk of colon cancer. The leaf shoots are also edible, and locally known as lutichi bhaji.

A few words of caution if one wants to enjoy eating this vegetable or, for that matter, any arum vegetable, whether root or shoot.

Any, and all, plants of the Araceae family contain oxalic acid which can cause throat and mouth irritation. Traditionally, tamarind with tartaric acid, kokum with hydroxy citric acid or lemon juice with citric acid are applied to the aroid vegetables to render the oxalic acid ineffective. They are cooked thereafter.

One may boil the vegetable with tamarind or kokum and strain the water before cooking. Some housewives also apply coconut oil to their hands while cutting surann or lutichi bhaji.

This yam can be transformed into a variety of delicious dishes, from curries and stews to fried snacks known as vaddi or kappam, or cooked with chillies, grated coconut, peas, hog plum or jackfruit seeds. Many recipes are available online with videos as well.

(The author is the former Chairman of the GCCI Agriculture Committee, CEO of Planter's Choice Pvt Ltd, Additional Director of OFAI and Garden Superintendent of Goa University, and has edited 18 books for Goa & Konkan)