Raja Ala is the Sri Lankan name for purple yam, a starchy tuber with a thick, dark-brown bark-like skin and interior flesh that ranges from vivid pink to deep purple. That colour comes from anthocyanin pigments — the same family of compounds that gives red cabbage and blueberries their hues — present in the flesh of the tuber. Alongside the anthocyanins, the tuber is rich in starch, dietary fibre, and carbohydrates, making it a substantial and satisfying ingredient in both everyday cooking and more elaborate preparations.
The skin of Raja Ala is rough and fibrous, often with fine surface rootlets and a slightly irregular, multi-lobed shape — exactly as you see it in the ground, washed but otherwise unprocessed. Cut through that exterior and the flesh is bright, holding its colour through cooking when prepared carefully. The tuber must always be cooked before eating; it is not suitable for consumption raw. Once cooked, the flesh becomes soft and dense, with a high starch content that gives it a satisfying, substantial texture.
In Sri Lanka, Raja Ala is most at home in straightforward preparations: boiled and served with freshly scraped coconut and a little salt, simmered into a coconut-milk curry, or cut and deep-fried. It holds its own equally well in sweet preparations — thick porridges, for instance — and is used in savoury dishes around the world wherever a sturdy, colourful starch is called for. Its natural purple pigment also lends colour to baked goods and pastries when processed into a paste.
Lakpura sources and packs Raja Ala under its own label, offering the tuber in two sizes: 500 g and 1 kg. Both options deliver the whole, fresh root ready for your kitchen. Store the tuber in a cool, dry place away from direct light, and prepare it as you would any firm starchy root — peeling first, then cooking thoroughly before serving.
