Vethala Valli Kizhangu

The Air Potato is a traditional yam of the genus Dioscorea. It grows on an herbaceous twining vine, meaning it uses other vegetation to cling to and support its weight. It is worth noting that it actually grows in a semi-wild state without any effort required for its cultivation. The plant takes between one and two years to produce tubers on the vine which are actually toxic, these are used rather for propagation of the plant. (However, recently, we have been learnt that tribals in North of Kerela eat the aerial roots too! This illustrates how we have lost our relationship with this plant. This erosion of knowledge, that is our cultural identity has come about due to the industrialization of crops such as potato, which even if they do not grow here in our bioregion are a staple vegetable, and thus traditional foods such as air potato are forgotten.)

(Air potato vine climbing on a banana plant.)

The edible part of the Air Potato plant is actually the yam that grows beneath the ground. Last year at Solitude Farm, we dug out one single yam that weighed 63 kilos!

It looks often like an Extra-Terrestrial, with a very irregular form that has limbs, nodes, and intriguing protrusions.

The yam is ideally left to dry for one month before application in culinary uses. It can then be sliced like our pan-fried air potato.

Slice the yam into thin slices, and marinate it in some ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry this on a flat pan, with some oil, until crispy on both sides, and your delicious snack is ready!

Consuming this yam is good for bone health and the heart as well. The Air Potato plant also has a history for being used in the treatments of dysentery, diarrhea, syphilis, sores and tumors.

This yam is a hidden gem, both culturally and nutritionally. Most people who come for a tour to Solitude Farm have never even heard about the Air Potato! Now imagine in Auroville, if thousands of these plants are growing everywhere and are being regularly harvested! By eating the air potato we reclaim our cultural identity and enrich our nutritional consciousness. Eating local food is an act of our devotion to Mother Nature.