How to make pounded yam with a blender

photo credit : miisunshine.com

Pounded yam with soup is a delicacy in Nigeria, your choice of soup to pair it with may differ based on personal preference or what part of the country you hail from, however, some of the common soups people pair pounded yam with are egusi soup, efo riro , bitterleaf and oha soup. The traditional way to make pounded yam involves boiling yam then pounding using a mortar and pestle; there are however simpler ways to achieve this same pounded yam using modern kitchen gadgets like the food processors and blenders.

Here’s an easy way to make pounded yam using an electric blender

“New yams” are not suitable for making pounded yam as they usually won’t give you the smooth and stretchy texture pounded yam should have. Peel yams and cut into medium sizes, wash and place in a pot to boil, pour in water into the pot ; make sure the water atleast covers all the pieces of yams in the pot. Leave the yam to boil till its soft ( you can check the softness of yam using a knife or fork to pierce through the yam) . When you are boiling yam for pounded yam you can tell the yam is soft enough from the colour of the water you are boiling it in, once the water becomes cloudy, your yam is ready for pounding.

If you can retain some of the water from boiling the yam (this can be used to soften the texture of the pounded yam if it becomes too “strong”). Once you are sure your yam is cooked, transfer a few pieces into the blender to start with. Blend for few seconds , add more pieces of yams then blend for a few more seconds after which you should have smooth and stretchy pounded yam. Ready to serve.

photo credit : pulse.ng

This process is usually easier and quicker with a blender that has sharp blades and pulses fast. Try not to blend yam for too long so you don’t end up with pounded yam that’s too soft and stretchy, Once the pounded yam is just smooth, your work is done.

You can also use a food processor for this same purpose, will share this method in coming post….