After the rice harvest, my mother-in-law would use the fields to grow sweet potatoes (white, purple and yellow fleshed ones), vegetables, moong beans and black-eyed peas. Once the sweet potatoes were harvested, they were covered in sand and kept in one corner of the store room to preserve them for several months. Often eaten boiled, roasted by burying them in hot embers and cooked in various sweet or savoury dishes. Sweet potatoes are called "Kondgueo/Kondgam" in Konkani and even referred as "yams" in North America.
The outer covering of these neureos consists of a dough with mashed cooked sweet potatoes, minimal use of flour and salt. Sticky in texture, the dough is shaped into a circle with oily fingers. Filled with a coconut-jaggery filling (godache chun), sealed to form a cresent-shaped and shallow fried in pure ghee. Considering the soft texture of the sweet potatoes, making these neureos can be challenging but worth every effort. Served as an evening snack with light black tea, they are delightful and incredibly delicious. The natural sweetness of the potatoes pairs beautifully with the coconut-jaggery filling. Instead of preparing neureos as above, some slice the boiled sweet potatoes and sandwich them with the coconut-jaggery filling whereas, others pan-fry parboiled slices in coconut oil and then, toss them in the sweet filling.
Versatile and nutritious, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins, proteins and antioxidants. Rich in dietary fibre and aids in digestion. Contains potassium and magnesium, reducing stress levels. Helps in reducing inflammation and provides relief from arthritis. Boosts the immune system and controls weight. Has anti-ageing properties, good for skin, hair and eye health.
The outer covering of these neureos consists of a dough with mashed cooked sweet potatoes, minimal use of flour and salt. Sticky in texture, the dough is shaped into a circle with oily fingers. Filled with a coconut-jaggery filling (godache chun), sealed to form a cresent-shaped and shallow fried in pure ghee. Considering the soft texture of the sweet potatoes, making these neureos can be challenging but worth every effort. Served as an evening snack with light black tea, they are delightful and incredibly delicious. The natural sweetness of the potatoes pairs beautifully with the coconut-jaggery filling. Instead of preparing neureos as above, some slice the boiled sweet potatoes and sandwich them with the coconut-jaggery filling whereas, others pan-fry parboiled slices in coconut oil and then, toss them in the sweet filling.
Versatile and nutritious, sweet potatoes are an excellent source of minerals, vitamins, proteins and antioxidants. Rich in dietary fibre and aids in digestion. Contains potassium and magnesium, reducing stress levels. Helps in reducing inflammation and provides relief from arthritis. Boosts the immune system and controls weight. Has anti-ageing properties, good for skin, hair and eye health.
Sweet Potato Neureos
(Yields 16)
You will need oil for shaping the dough and 1/4 cup ghee for shallow frying
Dough
Ingredients:
1/2 kg sweet potatoes, about two
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
Method:
Wash and steam the sweet potatoes (shown in the picture). Peel and pass them through a ricer to get rid of any fibres. Gently mix in the flour and salt with a spoon to form a dough. The mixture will be sticky to the touch.
Note:
Filling
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh grated coconut
3/4 cup sugarcane jaggery (grated)
2 tablespoons cashew nuts (chopped)
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
Method:
In a pan, add coconut and jaggery. Cook on a low flame, stirring occasionally until jaggery melts and filling is dry. Mix in the cashew nuts and cardamom powder. Set aside to cool.
Note:
Assembling
Method:
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Take a 3-inch dumpling mould and place a piece of plastic wrap over it. Brush the wrap with oil simultaneously, dip your right fingers in oil. Take
a ball of dough and spread to form a circle.
Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre. Slowly, lift the left side of the plastic ensuring to cover the filling and then touching the right edge all around to seal and form a crescent-shape. Gently place on parchment paper and
use tines of fork to press all around.
Repeat the above with rest of the dough by oiling your fingers frequently.
Heat a pan with some ghee on low flame. Shallow fry neureos on both sides until golden brown.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Note:
(Yields 16)
You will need oil for shaping the dough and 1/4 cup ghee for shallow frying
Dough
Ingredients:
1/2 kg sweet potatoes, about two
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
a pinch of salt
Method:
Wash and steam the sweet potatoes (shown in the picture). Peel and pass them through a ricer to get rid of any fibres. Gently mix in the flour and salt with a spoon to form a dough. The mixture will be sticky to the touch.
Note:
- Do not boil sweet potatoes immersed in water.
- Try to use sweet potatoes that are white, firm-flesh and have less moisture.
- I used the orange-fleshed ones that are too moist.
Filling
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh grated coconut
3/4 cup sugarcane jaggery (grated)
2 tablespoons cashew nuts (chopped)
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
Method:
In a pan, add coconut and jaggery. Cook on a low flame, stirring occasionally until jaggery melts and filling is dry. Mix in the cashew nuts and cardamom powder. Set aside to cool.
Note:
- Do not dry out the mixture too much, it will crystallize and get hard. To soften, run in the microwave for few seconds and use.
Assembling
Method:
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Take a 3-inch dumpling mould and place a piece of plastic wrap over it. Brush the wrap with oil simultaneously, dip your right fingers in oil. Take
a ball of dough and spread to form a circle.
Place a teaspoon of filling in the centre. Slowly, lift the left side of the plastic ensuring to cover the filling and then touching the right edge all around to seal and form a crescent-shape. Gently place on parchment paper and
use tines of fork to press all around.
Repeat the above with rest of the dough by oiling your fingers frequently.
Heat a pan with some ghee on low flame. Shallow fry neureos on both sides until golden brown.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Note:
- Oil your fingers, lift gently and then, transfer neureos to the pan for frying.
- Due to the sugar in the sweet potato, they brown quickly so ensure to shallow fry on a very low flame.
- If you find it challenging to make these neureos, try the other two easy ways of consuming sweet potatoes with the coconut-jaggery filling as indicated above in the intro.
