The Nigerian Yam Pottage recipe is one that I felt iffy to share, only because there are numerous recipes online from different traditions. But then, every culture and cuisine is unique and so are the dishes even if they have a common name. Yam porridge or pottage is widely eaten in many parts of Nigeria, it is called asaro by the Yorubas and can be richly garnished using different vegetables and protein.
This soft and tasty dish is one I make when I am having a great week/weekend and I want to make something out of the usual. I served this with some fried ripe plantain, and that added a burst of sweetness to every bite!
For a spicy and aromatic dish, explore our guide on “How to Make Nigerian Fish Pepper Soup,” the perfect side dish!
Nigerian Yam Pottage/Porridge Ingredients
First thing is the yam. Yam means different things to different cultures; yam to the Jamaicans is different from yam to Indians, some cultures even refer to sweet potatoes as yams.
The type of yam most common to many parts of Africa is the Dioscorea cayenensis which is also called guinea yam.
Although this is what is traditionally used in making yam pottage, you can certainly use other types of yams or sweet potatoes available to you.
The yam is cut up into cubes and cooked in a rich pepper mix until soft. Then, the yam pieces are crushed using a wooden spoon leaving just a few chunks of yam for some added texture.
Other ingredients you will need include:
Palm oil: Some people skip the use of oil altogether, but you cannot if you plan to make it the traditional way. Palm oil can be purchased at your local African store, it is highly nutritious and adds a unique flavour to this dish.
Peppers: You will need a combination of red bell peppers, scotch bonnets and onion all blended together.
Protein: I sprinkled on some ground shrimp and used dry deboned catfish. These ingredients add a ton of flavour to the porridge. Last minute, I also added some chopped shrimp.
Seasonings: Some fish bouillon, salt, and Cameroon pepper were added.
A great tip is to fry the pepper mix separately in a pan before adding it to the already boiling yam cubes.
Doing this amplifies the depth of flavour the pepper mix will bring to the yams, take it up a notch by adding the dry fish and ground shrimp and letting it cook with the pepper mix.
I have also paired it with chicken wings or grilled salmon.
More Nigerian Recipes to try:
- How to Make Nigerian Bean Pudding ‘Moi-Moi’ Step-by-Step Guide
- The BEST Nigerian Pepper Soup Recipe
- How to Cook Tasty Fried Rice (Nigerian Style)
- The Best Nigerian JOLLOF RICE (the secrets…)
NIGERIAN YAM POTTAGE RECIPE
How to Make Yummy Nigerian Yam Pottage
Ingredients
- 1 tuber of yam
- 2 red bell peppers
- 2 scotch bonnets
- 2 large onions 1 chopped
- 1 1/2 cups of red palm oil
- 2 Tbsp dry ground shrimp
- 10 pieces Fresh shrimp cut up
- 1 whole dry catfish deboned and rinsed
- Salt to taste
- Fish bouillon
- 4 cups of water will need more as needed
Instructions
- Peel and cut up your tuber of yam into small chunks, rinse a few times till clean before transferring to a large pot.
- Add in your chopped onion, season with a tsp of fish bouillon and some salt, add the 4 cups of water and cook for 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, blend together your red bell peppers, scotch bonnets and 1 onion.
- Heat up a large skillet, add in your palm oil and let it heat up for 2 mins before going in with the blended pepper mix.
- Allow the mix fry for 15 mins making sure to stir intermittently to prevent burning.
- Add in the deboned catfish and ground shrimp, season with salt and fish bouillon.
- Add your fried pepper sauce to the boiling yams, at this point, the water in the yams should be significantly reduced, let it combine well while still cooking.
- When the yam pieces are soft enough (you can use a fork to poke a piece to be sure), add in your chopped shrimp let it cook for another 5 mins.
- Use a wooden spoon to break down the yam pieces leaving only few chunks. You should end up with a semi-pureed pot of yam pottage.
