Ol Bhaate – Bengali Mashed Elephant Foot Yam | Suran ka Chokha

Ol Bhaate

Ol Bhaate is boiled and mashed elephant foot yam combined with chopped onions, green chilles and a generous drizzle of mustard oil. Ol makha or oal ka bhartha is a popular dish in Bengal, Orissa and Bihar.

Ol Bhaate

Elephant foot yam is a root vegetable that’s widely cultivated in India. It’s popularly called kanda gadda in Telugu, ol in Bengali, suran or jimikand in Hindi and chena in Malayalam.

Calcium oxalate crystals present in the tubers cause an itchy sensation in the mouth and throat. Cooking ol with souring agents or adding sour juices to cooked or raw yam helps prevent this irritation. It’s always better to use tamarind or lemon juice when cooking Ol.

Elephant Foot Yam is a good source of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. It is rich in Vitamin A and dietary fibre content, which is good for weight loss. Ayurveda recommends elephant foot yam for treating asthma, bronchitis, abdominal pain, piles, dysentery and fatigue. Yam lowers cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Bengali Ol Bhaate Recipe:

Elephant Foot Yam is a versatile vegetable – you can add it to curries, soups, make kebabs, chips, stir fries or bake it.

Oal sheddo or Bengali mashed yams quickly serve as a tasty side dish to your meal. Raw mustard oil adds a pungent kick to this elephant yam dish. Pair this comforting mash with some hot steamed rice.

For ol sheddo, firstly take 50 gms of ol. Wash the tuber thoroughly.

Then peel the dark brown skin and chop the yam into large pieces.

Pressure-cook the oal with sufficient water till soft. Once the pressure releases, put the boiled ol pieces in a colander to drain out the water.
Transfer the oal into a bowl; mash the yam well.

Then add chopped onions, chopped green chillies, salt and mix well.

Next, drizzle some lemon juice and combine well.

Lastly, dribble Mustard oil on top.

Serve Bengali Ol Bhaate with rice, dal and papad.

If you are searching for more Elephant Foot Yam recipes, then do try out Roasted Ol Recipe.

Sooran Ka Chokha Recipe details below:

Ol Bhaate | Mashed Elephant Foot Yam | Sooran ka Chokha

Ol bhate is a traditional Bengali recipe of boiled Elephant foot yam enhanced with the flavour of raw mustard oil. A simple, no-frills recipe, quick to prepare and quite healthy too! Suran ka bharta is easily digestible. Certain varieties of oal cause an itching sensation; adding lemon juice to the dish cuts it down.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Bengali

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings 2

Calories 28kcal

Author Shil

Ingredients

Elephant foot yam/Oal – 50 gms
Salt – ¼ tsp
Lime juice – ½ tsp
Mustard oil - 1 – 1 ½ tsp
Onion – 1 small, chopped
Green chilli – 1 small chopped

Instructions

For this make suran ka chokha recipe, wash the oal well, peel the thick skin, wash once again and cut into large pieces. Pop the pieces into a pressure cooker (or boil it) with sufficient water and cook till soft. Let it cool.
Drain and mash the elephant foot yam (you’ll get about ½ cup). Add salt, chopped onions, chopped green chillies and mustard oil. (Mustard oil adds to the flavour of the dish). Mix well.
Drizzle some lime juice and combine well.
Serve Oal ka bharta with hot white rice.