One of my favourite meals is beans and plantain. If I had my way, I would probably eat it daily. But we’re not here to talk about beans. There was a day I went to my favourite eatery, but my beloved beans and plantain was not available. I didn’t want jollof rice. I didn’t want swallow. The last tray that had yam porridge looked good enough, so I settled for that.

My, oh my. I was deliciously surprised. With every spoonful that travelled to my mouth, my taste buds reacted with joy. The meal was more delicious than I expected. As an avid cook, I could figure out the exact ingredients.

On getting home, I quickly ordered the ingredients from APPLECARTNG and I decided to replicate the same meal over the weekend. Trust me, I got the exact taste and it increased my love for yam. I know you’re eager to know what makes the yam porridge I cook different from the normal one. Well, below is the recipe for you to try out at home.

INGREDIENTS

·  1kg of white yam

·  1 smoked fish

·  1 fresh fish

·  5 tablespoons of palm oil

·  3 tablespoon of ground crayfish

·  1 ripe plantain

·  1 medium size onion

·  2 Knorr chicken cubes

·  2 or 3 pieces of Rodo

·  3 tomatoes

·  1 tatashe

·  1 handful of smoked prawns

·  1 handful of ugwu leaves

·  Salt to taste

The ingredients are a lot, right? Well, the taste of the meal afterwards makes it all worth it. Now, before you cook the yam porridge, there are some things you need to have done ahead of time. Here are some of them:

1. Prepare your pepper: Some people prefer to use ground pepper which also works for yam porridge. However, I prefer to use fresh pepper. Wash your fresh rodo, tomatoes, tatashe and half of the onion. Blend them all together till the mixture is fine. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

2. Prepare the yam: Now, you need to slice the skin off your yam. Once you’re done, cut them into small cubes. Once you do this, it makes it easier for the yam to cook faster. It also makes it easier for you to mash the yams when it is cooked.

3. Prepare the ugwu leaves: Ugwu leaves can be quite sandy. That’s why you cannot use them without washing them. Ensure you wash your ugwu leaves well till there are no sandy sediments at the bottom of your bowl. Then slice them thinly and set them aside.

4. Prepare the fish and prawn: Open up your smoked fish and shred it into tiny pieces. Ensure you shred them well because I’ve bought some smoked fish with maggots in them (as an aside, that's exactly why you should let APPLECARTNG shop for you because they choose only the best). So, please be careful. Also, slice your fresh fish and remove the dirt in it. Wash and set aside. Wash the smoked prawn as well and set it aside.


I know there’s a lot of “setting aside” but that’s how I love to cook. It makes it easier for me to pour the ingredients in the pot at the right time. There won’t be a need for my sauce or whatever I’m cooking to burn. And it helps me note whether I have all the ingredients at my beck and call. Now that we’ve gotten the preliminaries out of the way, we can proceed to cooking that sumptuous and mouth-watering yam porridge. 

Follow these instructions carefully:

1. Put a clean pot on you gas or stove. Add 5 tablespoons of palm oil into the pot and let it heat up. Make sure your onions are already chopped. Sprinkle them in the hot oil and stir with your cooking spoon.


Buy now

2. Next, pour in the pepper mixture, the well rinsed smoked fish and prawns and the ground crayfish. Let it fry for 3-5 minutes. Ensure you lower your heat a little and you stir the mixture. Your kitchen should now be smelling fishy thanks to all the seafood ingredients.

3. Now, add a cup of water and a Knorr cube (or preferred stock cube). Leave it till it starts bubbling. Add your fresh fish and a little salt. Then leave it for some time like you’re boiling fish for your stew. As soon as you notice that all the seafood is cooked, take them out. It might be tempting to leave them in, but it is a bad idea. Seafood tends to get soft and crumble quickly which we do not want in our porridge.


Buy now

4. Add about two or three cups of water, a Knorr cube and a little more salt. Ensure you taste the mixture a few times to ensure the salt is adequate. Now, add the yams and cover your pot. The essence of cooking the yams in this mixture is to give it that delicious fish flavoured taste.Depending on the type of yam, your pot should be covered from 15-25 minutes.

5. Slice your plantain into small cubes.


Buy now

6. Check your yams. If they are soft enough, turn down the heat and start mashing. The importance of turning down the heat is to make sure the yams don’t burn when mashing. You should mash the yams as you like them. Some people like creamy yam porridge while others like chunky yam porridge.

7. Once you are satisfied, add the plantain into the mixture as well as the fish ingredients we took out earlier. Add a little bit of water to make the mixture softer and use your cooking spoon to make it all softer. Sprinkle your ugwu leaves in the mixture and let it all cook for about 3 minutes on low heat.

You can use this time to think about the exciting meal you have just prepared. Turn off the heat and serve in a fancy plate. Don’t forget to arrange it well to make it look inviting.


AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, PEOPLE! THE AMAZING AND SUMPTUOUS YAM PORRIDGE!

Yam porridge doesn’t have to be boring. You don’t need to have palm oil dripping down your plate or taste ground pepper in your mouth before saying “this is yam porridge”. You can be as creative as you want with your yam porridge. Some people even add sugar in theirs to sweeten it.

 

Anytime you want to make a meal, just be yourself. Sometimes, half the fun is in the preparation and the experimentation. So…are you going to try this method of making yam porridge? Kindly let us know in the comments below.

 

And before we forget, we have EVERYTHING you need to make your sumptuous yam porridge. You don’t have to go to the market for a thing!

 

Kindly check out our website for all your food shopping needs this week. We are AFFORDABLE and WE DO HOME DELIVERIES! Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more updates and discounted freebies. At APPLECARTNG, your satisfaction is our concern!