AI-generated image
Tarul
तरुल (tarul): boiled yams with ghee and salt, the warming morning dish of Maghe Sankranti
Ask a Nepali family what they eat on the first day of Magh, in mid-January, and the answer is almost always tarul: big, knobbly yams boiled until tender, peeled and eaten hot with a spoonful of ghee and a pinch of salt, alongside sweet potatoes, taro, chaku and sesame sweets laid out on one plate. It is a quiet, family breakfast after the morning ritual bath in the river, and in Kathmandu the street markets are piled with mud-covered yams for days beforehand. The flesh is dense, creamy and slightly sticky, with a mild nutty sweetness that the ghee and salt bring out. Raw yam can irritate the skin, and the usual problem is peeling it before cooking, which leaves itchy hands. Chef's tip: boil the yams in their skins and peel them after, when the skin slips off with a knife; rub some oil on your hands first if you must cut them raw.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb yams (tarul)scrubbed, cut into 8 cm pieces
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 ¼ cups water
- 3 tbsp gheemelted
- 1 /2 tsp flaky salt
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb yams (tarul) in a large pot with 8 ¼ cups water and 1 tsp salt.
2 minStep 2: Bring to the boil over a high heat, then cover and simmer for 25–30 minutes until a knife slides into the centre of the thickest piece with no resistance.
30 minStep 3: Drain, cool for a few minutes, then peel off the skins with a small knife and cut into thick slices.
5 minStep 4: Arrange on a plate, drizzle with 3 tbsp ghee, sprinkle with 1 /2 tsp flaky salt and 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and eat warm.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 270 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tarul take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Caramelised clay-pot tofu and mushrooms
Kho is the slow braise of the Mekong Delta: food simmered in a little clay pot (nồi đất) with dark caramel and seasoning until the sauce is sticky and the flavours go deep. This vegetarian cousin of cá kho tộ (braised fish) uses golden tofu and meaty mushrooms in place of fish, cooked in coconut water, as cooks do in the south, and finished with plenty of black pepper. Serve it bubbling in its pot with steamed rice and a sour soup or plain boiled vegetables. Chef's tip: take the caramel (nước màu) to a deep mahogany, darker than you think, just before it smokes; pale caramel only tastes sweet, while dark caramel gives the bittersweet, smoky flavour of a real kho.
Vietnamese
Spinach with mushrooms
A bright green, savoury puree of potato, mushrooms and fresh spinach cooked in home-made baby stock. Thick and smooth, it's a good way to get iron-rich greens into babies of 8–18 months. Serve warm; spare portions freeze well.
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Mexican