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Yam is a staple in most Nigerian homes. Little wonder for yam recipes occupy a central position in the Nigerian food culture as the king amongst crops. The New Yam Festival which is an annual celebration of this food further showcases its enviable position as king amongst foods. Today, we’ll review some of the delicacies that can be prepared with yam. Thus, if you have a tuber of yam in your kitchen and you don’t know what to make with it, pull up a seat. You may get an inspiration from these 8 yam recipes.

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Ji Mmanu

Boiled yam and red oil Recipe by Salma Ali Baba - Cookpad — Cookpad

This is simply boiled yam and palm oil. For me, this food is the best of the best. Once your yam is ready, your food is ready. The palm oil can either be served as it is with the yam or it can be garnished to the consumer’s taste. Ingredients that can be added to the oil include salt, fresh pepper and onions. But if you want the classic palm oil sauce, then also add utazi leaves and ukpaka to it.

Yam and Egg Sauce

Egg sauce and Yam - My Active Kitchen — My Active Kitchen

I’m in love with this delicacy. In fact, whenever I’m cooking it, my heart will be singing “Duduke”. Even my boiled yam loves egg sauce because it is everything good. It is best served hot.

Yam Vegetable

Vegetable yam (ji akwukwo) - The Pretend Chef — The Pretend Chef

There are different ways to make this food. While some people’s method of cooking it is to serve boiled yam with tomato-ugu sauce, others simply prepare yam pottage, add vegetables to it and baptize it yam vegetable. My own version of making this food is what the Igbo call ji agwolu agwo. To make this delightful dish, spinach is steamed then pounded and mixed with palm oil, pepper, onions, stock cubes, and salt. This vegetable sauce is then mixed into boiled yam cubes and garnished with ukpaka.

Yam Pottage

Delicious vegetable yam porridge - My Diaspora Kitchen — My Diaspora Kitchen

This food appears on the dining table of most families every week. Yam pottage is palm oil-based Jollof yam. Ingredients used in its preparation include crayfish, pepper, onions, dry fish, ogili, stock cubes and salt. This delicious meal is easy to prepare.

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Yam Pepper Soup

I hope you know that this food is not just for omugwo. You can cook and enjoy it whenever you want to but I especially recommend it during the rainy season or when you feel like living lavida loca. The lavida loca version of this food is prepared with either fresh and dry catfish or with goat meat. But the regular version can be prepared with only dry fish. One assurance that I can give you on top this food is that the pepper and the native spices in it will warm up your system on a rainy day.

Yamarita

This scrumptious goodness is fast becoming a household staple. However, yamarita is not your usual yam; it is boiled yam that is rolled in flour and dipped in egg before frying. I hope you can now see that this yam went to school and collected a degree certificate.

Pounded Yam

This one is the queen amongst swallow. It is the heavy-duty boss of all yam recipes. Pounded yam is a staple in most homes in Nigeria. Like all swallow, it is not eaten alone. It is usually paired with any of the delicious Nigerian soups.

Yam Balls

This yummy snack is simply mashed yam with filling. Yam balls are easy to prepare. If you chop am as e dey hot, you’ll confess that heaven is real. Featured Image Source: All Nigerian Foods

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This article was first published on 15th September 2020

udevi-obiamaka-angela

Udevi, Obiamaka Angela holds a Master of Arts degree in History & International Studies. She's a freelance writer with a passion for food and healthy living. She can be contacted through her email address, obiudevi@yahoo.com