Pidikarunai Masiyal | பிடிகருணை‌ மசியல் (small elephant foot yam)

 Pidikarunai Kizhangu belongs to the Yam/Jimmikand family and is native to southern India especially Tamil Nadu . 

Also known as Pidi Karanai or karunai kizhangu it is often mistaken with arbi /taro root ,but both are entirely different . 

 Elephant foot yam is known as Senai kizhangu or simply Senai /Chenai.

Pidi karunai is used in a variety of recipes like masiyal (gravy type) , stir fry , sambar, kootu etc

Pidi karunai is small in size as compared to the regular yam /suran that is commonly used. 

Kai Pidi in Tamil is a measure to denote "a fistful" and as this vegetable fits within the size of one's fist it is called as Pidi karunai .

The flesh inside is starchy, and has a slightly slimy texture when cooked. It has a mild earthy flavor . Pidi Karunai has a tendency to cause mild itchiness to some, hence we always need to cook it in tamarind water to reduce the itchy property .

Health benefits of Pidi karunai

• Rich in dietary fibre 
• Low glycemic index.
• Rich in potassium ,Vit B and C 

Pidikaranai masiyal is a very traditional Tambrahm recipe ,so obviously it is devoid onions, garlic and other strong spices .

Every home will have their own slight variations in preparing this masiyal .Some use tamarind pulp to cook the masiyal while some recipes just use a dash of lime juice while serving. 

I was introduced to Pidikarunai masiyal only after my marriage and that was when I first saw this vegetable.  In Bangalore, this vegetable is still a rarity but with the growing Quick commerce and Dark storage concept, we do get to relish Pidi karunai 3 to 4 times a year .

If you are in Tamil Nadu or happen to visit, you can definitely buy these from the local vegetable vendors .In Mumbai , Matunga market stores this vegetable around Sankrant for a few weeks .

Preparation Time - 30 mins
Cooking Time - 45 mins
Complexity - medium
Serves - 3 to 4

Ingredients 

500gm pidikarunai 
2 green chillies 
Finely chopped ginger 
1/2 cup tamarind extract 
1/2 tsp sambar powder
1 tsp oil 
1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
1 tsp udad dhall
2 dry red  chillies 
Few curry leaves
Pinch of asafoetida 

Method

• Soak the pidikarunai in water for 10-15 mins and scrub it clean to clear the mud off it .
• Add the cleaned Pidikarunai in a pressure cooker with sufficient water ,turmeric and a small piece of tamarind. 
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles and open it after the pressure releases .
• You may immerse the pressure cooked pidikarunai in a bowl of water .This step makes the peeling of pidikarunai easy.
• Peel the skin of the pidikarunai and mash it well with a masher or using back of a ladle .
• To the mashed pidikarunai, add salt, sambar powder , turmeric and the tamarind extract. Mix it well and keep aside .
• In a kadai,add oil and once heated,temper it with mustard ,udad dhall,curry leaves, ginger,green chillies and red chillies.  
• Add the pidikarunai mixture to the tempering, 1/2 cup of water and cook until the raw flavor of tamarind is lost.
• You can adjust the consistency by adding water if you feel it is too thick.  Also,adjust the spice and salt level based on your liking .
• Delicious pidikarunai masiyal is ready to be served .
• You can mix it with rice and hot ghee and eat it with some roasted papads and curry.