Ingredients
- 1.5 kgwhite puna yam (Dioscorea rotundata), peeled thickly and cut in 4 cm rounds
- cold water, to cover and to rinse
- ½ tspsalt (optional – many households use none)
- 100 mlhot water, for adjusting
Directions
- Peel the yam thickly with a knife, cutting away every trace of the brown skin and any discoloured flesh, and drop the rounds straight into cold water so they do not oxidise.
- Rinse twice in fresh water to wash off surface starch, which otherwise makes the yam gummy.
- Put the yam in a pot, cover with water by 2 cm, add salt if using and boil over medium-high heat 20–25 minutes until a knife slides through with no resistance but the pieces still hold their shape. Overcooked, waterlogged yam will never pound smooth.
- Drain thoroughly and let the pieces steam-dry in the colander for 2 minutes.
- Tip the hot yam into a wooden mortar (odo) a few pieces at a time and pound with the pestle (omorodo), lifting high and letting the weight do the work rather than smashing down.
- As it breaks down, use a wet wooden spoon to fold the mass back into the centre between strokes, and keep the pestle head wet so nothing sticks.
- Keep pounding 10–15 minutes, adding hot water a splash at a time, until there is not a single lump and the mass stretches when you pull it – it should be smooth, elastic and pale ivory, and it should pull away from the mortar in one piece.
- Wet your hands and a small bowl, mould the yam into smooth balls, and serve immediately, hot, with egusi, efo riro or ogbono soup. Eat by pinching off a piece, dimpling it with the thumb and scooping.
Technique
- Only true African white yam pounds correctly. Sweet potato, taro and Caribbean yellow yam have too much sugar or too little starch and will not become elastic.
- Work fast and keep everything hot. Yam that cools while you pound turns stiff and lumpy and cannot be rescued.
- The yam must be dry when it goes into the mortar; boiled-in water is the commonest cause of a sticky, sagging swallow.
Substitutions
- Instant pounded yam flour (poundo) whisked into boiling water is what most Nigerian households use on a weeknight – it is honest and quick, but slightly grainier than the real thing.
- No mortar? Blitz hot boiled yam in a stand mixer with the paddle, or in a food processor in 20-second bursts with a little hot water, until it forms a single elastic mass.
Variations
- Iyan, the Yoruba name and the version most often paired with efo riro.
- A half-and-half pounding of yam with green plantain, common in the south-east.
History
From the yam belt of southern Nigeria, where the Igbo new-yam festival Iri Ji marks the harvest and forbids eating the crop before it.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pounded yam?
Pounded yam is a main from Nigeria: stretchy pounded yam swallow paired with egusi or vegetable soups. From the yam belt of southern Nigeria, where the Igbo new-yam festival Iri Ji marks the harvest and forbids eating the crop before it.
How long does Pounded yam take to make?
Pounded yam takes 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Pounded yam?
Yes, within limits. Instant pounded yam flour (poundo) whisked into boiling water is what most Nigerian households use on a weeknight – it is honest and quick, but slightly grainier than the real thing. No mortar? Blitz hot boiled yam in a stand mixer with the paddle, or in a food processor in 20-second bursts with a little hot water, until it forms a single elastic mass.
What is the most important thing to get right in Pounded yam?
Peel the yam thickly with a knife, cutting away every trace of the brown skin and any discoloured flesh, and drop the rounds straight into cold water so they do not oxidise.
