Yam is an old name and had been among the top foods eaten by every part of Nigeria irrespective of geographical location. In terms of the plantation, almost every part of Nigeria can plant yam and get a good yield from it. However, the sizes of yam produced in different locations are not the same. The major reason for this is based on the fact that yam yields better in soil with closeness to water and rich manure. Hence, locations that meet these criteria always produce bigger tubers of yam during harvest season.
When it comes to eating yam, the taste of yam varies according to the type of yam and how long it has been harvested. Though ingredients can make a little difference, yams have their own unique taste that can be noticed even without adding any ingredient to it.
Ordinarily, you can eat yam with salt only and still enjoy its natural taste. A roasted yam can serve as a favorite meal with oil, salt, fresh pepper, and sliced onions as a sauce. You can as well prepare a special sauce for the roasted yam based on preference.
You can also prepare white yam and eat it with similar sauce mentioned above. White yam is sliced yam cooked with ordinary water with a little salt added for taste. To make the white yam clean and sand-free the back of the yam needs to be peeled thoroughly and the sliced yam will be washed with clean water before pouring it into the pot for boiling. Sliced yams cooked in this form can be eaten with sauce, fried egg, jollof rice, or any other food.
However, when it comes to making Yam porridge almost everyone becomes a fan of yam as delicious food. A well-prepared porridge yam sells higher than most popular African foods in most restaurants. Yam porridge can make a delicious dinner for large families. In fact, yam porridge is so important in African culture that during the festival period, most communities use yam porridge to entertain the guests. Some traditional marriages in Nigeria cannot be complete without serving a plate of yam porridge to every guest present. Such are the applications of yam porridge that even birthdays and other parties can’t be complete or special without dropping plates of yam porridge on every table.
Despite all the popularity and acceptance of yam porridge in Africa, lots of people can only tell you few things when it comes to its preparations. Though every tribe seems to have a special way of preparing their yam porridge, the acceptance is almost the same across all tribes. While some claim theirs is tastier others boost the nutritious values of their own yam porridge.
The most frequently served yam porridge on most occasions in Nigeria has to be that of vegetable and dried fish yam porridge garnished with red oil and other spices, It Is Known As The Special Yam Porridge For Public Events. This post will highlight how to prepare this type of vegetable yam porridge with a step-by-step approach.
HOW TO COOK THJE SPECIAL VEGETABLE YAM PORRIDGE
Do you want to give it a trial in your kitchen? This post got it covered. Just be patient and carefully follow the instructions.
Gather the Ingredients
1 tuber of yam
Sliced soft cow skin (100g)(optional)
Five dried fish (catfish)
Ground crayfish (5 teaspoons)
Fresh pepper (6pieces)
Fresh tomatoes (optional)
Onions
Salt
2 cubes of Maggi
Fresh pumpkin leaves that can occupy half of the pot you will be using
PROCEDURE
Step 1.
Use your kitchen knife to peel off the back layer of the yam, slice the yam into cube shapes, and wash it with clean water in a bow. Bring an empty pot that can contain the quantity of yam porridge you intend to cook (it is advisable to use a big pot). Pour enough water into the pot and drop the sliced yams in the bow into it as you wish.
Step 2.
Light up your burner and place the pot of sliced yam on the cooker. Lower the heating to enable you to have time to prepare other things.
Step 3.
Wash the soft cow skin meat with salt and keep it on a separate plate. If you can’t see a soft cow meat skin known as Kanda in the local name, you can buy a hard one and parboil it to soften it then slice as you desire.
Step 4.
Pieces the five dried catfish in a bowl of water with small salt, remove all the bones you see leaving only the fresh in the bow. Afterward, wash the fresh and put them on a hollow plate to allow the water to drain out. If you have warm water, you can use it without adding salt it helps to bring out the fish flavor in the porridge.
Step 5.
Wash the fresh pumpkin leaves in a wide bowl filled with clean water with dissolved salt. You can wash it twice if it appears to have traces of sand sticking on the leaves. Once the vegetables are clean and neat, slice them and keep in a separate bow or grater to drain out excess water in it.
Step 6.
Use a fork to check the sliced yam if the pot has started boiling. If the yam is half-way done, add salt (1 tablespoon) to the yam. This will help to give it taste inside. Just a few minutes afterward, let say ten minutes, start adding all the ingredients you have prepared but do not add the sliced vegetable leaves.
Step 7.
Allow the ingredients to boil with the yam until the yam is completely cooked and water in it starts getting thick. Once the water becomes thick add the sliced vegetables and stir with a big spoon until the vegetables make a good mix with the whole content of the pot.
Step 8.
Vegetables don’t need to spend so much time in the heat. Therefore bring down the pot from the stove a few minutes after adding the vegetables.
At this stage, your yam porridge is ready to be served. You can go ahead to taste it with family and friends.
