Yam Fry Suran Fry Indian Style Fried Yam

About Yam Fry

These crunchy and flavorful yam fries are going to be your new favorite way to eat yams. Also called suran fodi (in Konkani language) or fried suran, this recipe includes fresh elephant foot yams sliced and spiced, dredged and then fried for a satisfying side or snack. To get a perfectly crispy outside and tender inside, I coat the marinated suran slices with rava (also known as sooji, semolina or cream of wheat) and then lightly fry in oil on the stovetop. This easy, tried-and-true process creates the best yam fry! Though the recipe here is made with elephant foot yam, you can easily replicate it with any variety of yam. In a similar way, I prepare potato, plantain and Brinjal Fries as well. I make these yam fries often as a side dish with my favorite main courses. They go great with nearly any Indian rice and lentil dishes, and also with any delicious Indian Vegetable Recipes. Note: I usually buy fresh yams, and peel and chop them before making this recipe. But you also can use frozen yams that are thawed for less prep work. Love yam? Here are two more recipes for you to try:

Kalan: Yam and plantains in a flavorful coconut yogurt sauceYam Chips – Shallow fried spiced elephant foot yam chips

How to make Yam Fry

Prep Yam

1. First, thoroughly rinse a small-sized yam (about 160 grams or 5.64 ounces) in water removing any layer of mud with a brush. Peel the skins off, and rinse again. I use a peeler to peel the skin. Cut into thin slices that are about 3 to 4 mm thick (¼ inch) and quarter to make chips like shown in the photos below. If the pieces are too thick they will take longer to fry. Total you want about 1.5 cups of yam slices. Note: Some varieties of Elephant foot yam will have a lot itchiness and to avoid it, rub some coconut oil (or any edible oil) on your palms lightly before you slice the yams. Or you can wear gloves when cutting the yam.

Marinate Yam

2. Place the yam pieces in a bowl and add 1.5 teaspoons of lemon juice, or more to taste. You can use vinegar or tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice, if you prefer. Adding a sour ingredient minimizes the itchiness in the yam. So do not skip on this step if the yam you are using is itchy.
3. Then add ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder. Kashmiri chilli powder is not as spicy as regular chili powder, so if you are using regular chili powder I recommend adding ½ teaspoon to begin with. Add up to a full teaspoon for a greater spicy kick.
4. Mix very well so that the lemon juice and spice powders have coated each yam slice very well.
5. Add salt to taste. 6. Mix again very well. Now cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and let the yam slices marinate for 10 minutes.

Dredge Marinated Yam

7. When the marinated yam slices are just about ready, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Use any neutral oil for frying. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of fine rava (semolina, sooji, cream of wheat), besan, or rice flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Corn starch, fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour also work well in the recipe. Do not be tempted to use breadcrumbs as they simply won’t stick onto the yam slices.
8. Place the slices of yam (suran) into the dish.
9. Flip the yam slices back and forth to coat with the rava.

Make Yam Fry

10. Shake off the excess coating back into the dish, and then carefully place the suran slices in the hot oil in a skillet or frying pan. Work in 2 or 3 batches if you need to so that the pan is not overcrowded.
11. Fry over medium heat until golden brown on one side.
12. Then turn over, and fry the second side until it becomes crisp and light golden as well.
13. Continue to flip back and forth a couple more times, so that the yam fry is evenly cooked on both sides. 14. Use a spatular or slotted spoon to remove the fried suran slices and place them on plates lined with paper towels.

What to serve with Yam Fries

15. Serve the yam fries hot or warm as a side with your favorite Indian main course. Garnish with some chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, if you like. Although not traditional, I also sometimes like to sprinkle some black salt or chaat masala for an extra flavor.

Expert Tips

Scaling: This yam fry recipe can easily be halved, doubled or tripled.

Itching: Some varieties of elephant foot yam will cause itching on your hands after peeling and slicing. In this case, spread some coconut oil or any edible oil lightly on your palms before peeling and chopping the yam.

Sour Ingredients: Sometimes after eating yam, an itchiness and irritation can be felt on the tongue and throat. Adding acidic ingredients helps to reduce this itchiness in the yam significantly. So in this recipe, you can add some souring ingredients while marinating. I usually add lemon juice or vinegar, but you can add tamarind sauce or kokum extract.

Semolina: Instead of rava (sooji) use rice flour, fine cornmeal, all-purpose flour or besan (gram flour). Do not use bread crumbs, however, as then you will need to batter coat the yam slices to make the bread crumbs stick.Spices and seasonings: Red chili powder and lemon juice can be added less or more according to your taste preferences. Frying: You can even shallow fry or deep fry if you want. 

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Kurkuri Bhindi (Indian Fried Okra) Capsicum Fry | South Indian Bell Pepper Stir Fry Kovakkai Fry | Dondakaya Fry Baby Corn Fry (Baby Corn Pepper Fry) This Yam Fry recipe post from the archives first published in August 2017 has been republished and updated on 27 March 2021.

title: “Yam Fry Suran Fry Indian Style Fried Yam " ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-05” author: “Anthony Perryman”

About Yam Fry

These crunchy and flavorful yam fries are going to be your new favorite way to eat yams. Also called suran fodi (in Konkani language) or fried suran, this recipe includes fresh elephant foot yams sliced and spiced, dredged and then fried for a satisfying side or snack. To get a perfectly crispy outside and tender inside, I coat the marinated suran slices with rava (also known as sooji, semolina or cream of wheat) and then lightly fry in oil on the stovetop. This easy, tried-and-true process creates the best yam fry! Though the recipe here is made with elephant foot yam, you can easily replicate it with any variety of yam. In a similar way, I prepare potato, plantain and Brinjal Fries as well. I make these yam fries often as a side dish with my favorite main courses. They go great with nearly any Indian rice and lentil dishes, and also with any delicious Indian Vegetable Recipes. Note: I usually buy fresh yams, and peel and chop them before making this recipe. But you also can use frozen yams that are thawed for less prep work. Love yam? Here are two more recipes for you to try:

Kalan: Yam and plantains in a flavorful coconut yogurt sauceYam Chips – Shallow fried spiced elephant foot yam chips

How to make Yam Fry

Prep Yam

1. First, thoroughly rinse a small-sized yam (about 160 grams or 5.64 ounces) in water removing any layer of mud with a brush. Peel the skins off, and rinse again. I use a peeler to peel the skin. Cut into thin slices that are about 3 to 4 mm thick (¼ inch) and quarter to make chips like shown in the photos below. If the pieces are too thick they will take longer to fry. Total you want about 1.5 cups of yam slices. Note: Some varieties of Elephant foot yam will have a lot itchiness and to avoid it, rub some coconut oil (or any edible oil) on your palms lightly before you slice the yams. Or you can wear gloves when cutting the yam.

Marinate Yam

2. Place the yam pieces in a bowl and add 1.5 teaspoons of lemon juice, or more to taste. You can use vinegar or tamarind pulp instead of lemon juice, if you prefer. Adding a sour ingredient minimizes the itchiness in the yam. So do not skip on this step if the yam you are using is itchy.
3. Then add ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder. Kashmiri chilli powder is not as spicy as regular chili powder, so if you are using regular chili powder I recommend adding ½ teaspoon to begin with. Add up to a full teaspoon for a greater spicy kick.
4. Mix very well so that the lemon juice and spice powders have coated each yam slice very well.
5. Add salt to taste. 6. Mix again very well. Now cover with a plate or plastic wrap, and let the yam slices marinate for 10 minutes.

Dredge Marinated Yam

7. When the marinated yam slices are just about ready, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Use any neutral oil for frying. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of fine rava (semolina, sooji, cream of wheat), besan, or rice flour in a shallow bowl or plate. Corn starch, fine cornmeal and all-purpose flour also work well in the recipe. Do not be tempted to use breadcrumbs as they simply won’t stick onto the yam slices.
8. Place the slices of yam (suran) into the dish.
9. Flip the yam slices back and forth to coat with the rava.

Make Yam Fry

10. Shake off the excess coating back into the dish, and then carefully place the suran slices in the hot oil in a skillet or frying pan. Work in 2 or 3 batches if you need to so that the pan is not overcrowded.
11. Fry over medium heat until golden brown on one side.
12. Then turn over, and fry the second side until it becomes crisp and light golden as well.
13. Continue to flip back and forth a couple more times, so that the yam fry is evenly cooked on both sides. 14. Use a spatular or slotted spoon to remove the fried suran slices and place them on plates lined with paper towels.

What to serve with Yam Fries

15. Serve the yam fries hot or warm as a side with your favorite Indian main course. Garnish with some chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves, if you like. Although not traditional, I also sometimes like to sprinkle some black salt or chaat masala for an extra flavor.

Expert Tips

Scaling: This yam fry recipe can easily be halved, doubled or tripled.

Itching: Some varieties of elephant foot yam will cause itching on your hands after peeling and slicing. In this case, spread some coconut oil or any edible oil lightly on your palms before peeling and chopping the yam.

Sour Ingredients: Sometimes after eating yam, an itchiness and irritation can be felt on the tongue and throat. Adding acidic ingredients helps to reduce this itchiness in the yam significantly. So in this recipe, you can add some souring ingredients while marinating. I usually add lemon juice or vinegar, but you can add tamarind sauce or kokum extract.

Semolina: Instead of rava (sooji) use rice flour, fine cornmeal, all-purpose flour or besan (gram flour). Do not use bread crumbs, however, as then you will need to batter coat the yam slices to make the bread crumbs stick.Spices and seasonings: Red chili powder and lemon juice can be added less or more according to your taste preferences. Frying: You can even shallow fry or deep fry if you want. 

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Kurkuri Bhindi (Indian Fried Okra) Capsicum Fry | South Indian Bell Pepper Stir Fry Kovakkai Fry | Dondakaya Fry Baby Corn Fry (Baby Corn Pepper Fry) This Yam Fry recipe post from the archives first published in August 2017 has been republished and updated on 27 March 2021.