Sakkaravalli (Ipomoea batatas)

Sakkaravalli kizhangu, shakarkand in Hindi, is sweet potato, a trailing morning-glory from tropical America grown for its sweet storage roots. In North India roasted shakarkand chaat is a winter street food and a fasting food, and Tamil homes boil it for Pongal. Orange-fleshed varieties are rich in beta-carotene and have been promoted in Africa to fight vitamin A deficiency. It is not a potato and not a yam.

Botanical name: Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.
Family: Convolvulaceae
Tamil: Sakkaravalli
Hindi: Shakarkand
Sanskrit: Raktālu
Parts used: Storage root, Young leaves in some kitchens
Habit: Trailing morning-glory grown for a swollen storage root
Last updated: 2026-10-27

How to recognise Sakkaravalli

It is a trailing or twining perennial vine with milky sap, grown as an annual.

The leaves are heart-shaped or deeply lobed, green or purple.

Lavender to white, funnel-shaped morning-glory flowers appear in some varieties.

The roots are swollen and tapering, with red, purple, cream or orange skin and white, yellow, orange or purple flesh.

Potato tubers grow from underground stems and have eyes; sweet potato roots do not.

Traditional use of Sakkaravalli

Kitchen

Roasted sweet potato with lemon, chaat masala and salt is sold on North Indian streets in winter.

North Indian food practice

Kitchen

Boiled sweet potato is eaten at Pongal in Tamil Nadu and during fasts across India.

Indian food practice

Kitchen

In Africa and South-east Asia the young leaves are cooked as greens.

African and Asian food practice

Modern notes on Sakkaravalli

Orange-fleshed sweet potato programmes in Africa won the World Food Prize in 2016.

The roots supply starch, fibre, potassium and vitamin C.

Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar grow most of India’s sweet potatoes.

Sakkaravalli safety

Sweet potato is a safe food. Discard roots with black, bitter spots, which can come from mould.

Ecology and sourcing

It was domesticated in Central or South America.

Bees visit its flowers.

It is grown from vine cuttings or sprouted roots.

Related plants

Also in Convolvulaceae

Questions about Sakkaravalli

Is sweet potato a potato?

No. It is a morning-glory relative.

Is Sakkaravalli a yam?

No. Yams are Dioscorea.

Are the leaves of Sakkaravalli edible?

Yes, cooked.

Why are some types orange?

They are rich in beta-carotene.

Is Sakkaravalli eaten during fasts?

Yes, across India.

Sources

Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.