Ingredients, Main Course Meals, Vegetables

All about the Dragon Stalk Yam (Shevala/Shevla)

With the first few showers of rain, you get a variety of interesting leafy vegetables which are available just for a short time. One such vegetable is Dragon Stalk Yam which is mainly available just before the monsoons begin. Though you do get it during the rains too though the ones you get just before the rains are said to be tastier.

Scientific Name:

Amorphophallus Commutatus.

Dragon Stalk Yam and Kakad
Dragon Stalk Yam and Kakad

Other names:

English-Dragon Stalk Yam; Marathi- Shevale, Mogari Kanda; Hindi-Jungli Suran

Appearance:

It consists of a single stalk with a spathe (leaf kind of structure) and a beautiful hollow spadix (pod/bud) inside. The colour of the spadix determines the stage of maturity/ development.

Stages of growth of Dragon Stalk Yam
Stages of growth of Dragon Stalk Yam
 

Purchasing and storing:

Very few vegetable vendors keep this wild food mainly because not many today are aware of this vegetable or eat it.

When you buy it, buy it from a known vendor. It can stay in the fridge for 3-4 days but it’s best to be used fresh.

*If you are in Mumbai some of the places where you will easily get this are in the Virar, Vasai, Palghar, Borivali, Goregaon, and Dadar markets.

Taste:

It has a very earthy, meaty taste. Not everyone likes it since it’s an acquired flavor.

Nutritional value: 

Not much literature is available about the nutritional content but it sure is high in fiber.

Cleaning and usage:        

Growth of the Dragon Stalk Yam
Growth stages
  • Use gloves for cleaning or rub some sour kokum liquid (Aagal) to your hands before you begin cleaning to avoid any sort of irritation or itching.
  • Remove the Spathe.
  • The orange band that you see needs to be removed as it causes itching in the throat.
Growth of the Dragon Stalk Yam
Cleaning
  • Only the Spadex is used. However, in some regions, even the Spathe is used.
Growth of the Dragon Stalk Yam
Cleaning of Dragon Stalk Yam
  • Along with Dragon Stalk yam, you often get around vegetables called kakda which are more off-like amla in appearance and texture and are used to reduce or avoid itchiness.

*Shevale is very common in the Pathare Prabhu cuisine but unlike us, they do not use kakda. They prepare shevale with sode (prawns).

Shevala Bhaji ( Dragon Stalk Yam Gravy)

Recipe:

Ingredients:

Shevale- 1 ½ cups, finely chopped

Kakda- ¾ cup, finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste-2 tbsp

Cumin-1 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1-2 tsp

Meat Masala/ Garam Masala-1-2 tsp

Salt-as per taste

Kokum (aagal) -1 tsp * or use tamarind a little bit

Oil-2 tsp

Ground to paste:

Coconut-1 cup

Green Chili-2

Procedure:

  • Heat oil in a wok. Add oil then cumin and let it splutter.
  • Then add in ginger garlic paste and let it fry nicely.
  • Add in salt, and red chili powder and let it cook slightly.
  • Put in the finely chopped shevale and sauté it well for 5-8 mins and then add in the finely chopped kakda. Cook for a few minutes.
  • Pour in the coconut paste and let it cook.
  • Finally add in the kokum, garam or meat masala, and lastly, salt as per taste.
  • Serve hot with rice or bhakri.
shevale
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Shevale Bhaji

Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Maharashtrian
Keyword: Wild Foods
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • 1 Mixing bowl
  • 1 Kadhai
  • 1 Mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup Shevale finely chopped
  • 3/4 cup Kakda finely chopped
  • 2 tbso Ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Red chili powder
  • 1-2 tsp Meat Masala/ Garam Masala
  • Salt
  • 1 tsp Kokum (aagal) / tamarind
  • 2 tsp Oil

Ground to paste:

  • 1 cup Coconut
  • 2 Green chili

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a wok. Add oil then cumin and let it splutter.
  • Then add in ginger garlic paste and let it fry nicely.
  • Add in salt, red chilli powder and let it cook slightly.
  • Put in the finely chopped shevale and sauté it well for 5-8 mins and then add in the finely chopped kakda. Cook for a few minutes.
  • Pour in the coconut paste and let it cook.
  • Finally, add in the kokum, garam/meat masala and lastly salt as per taste.
  • Serve hot with rice or bhakri.

References:

Author: Aditi Prabhu

Nutritionist

16 Comments

  1. Very well explained. It is also common in the SKP (somvanshi kshatriya pathare) cuisine, though they use tamarind instead of kokum.

  2. Would love to try though I am sure won’t get it in goa.. Nevertheles you are there I know😉.. Honestly had no clue about it, first time I came across something new and informative specially the way it has to be handled

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