Pounded Yam is a popular and special swallow recipe that is prepared in Nigeria. From the name of this recipe, it’s easily known that it’s prepared using yam, but to be specific, using cooked yam.
I enjoy eating pounded yam with draw soup like Ogbono or Okro mixed with Ewedu. But it can also be served with non-draw soup like Egusi Soup or Vegetable Soup.
There are different types of yam but for today’s cooking, I will be using Benue state yam.
After peeling the yam, cut it into small sizes to enable the cooking and pounding to be faster.
A mortar and pestle are used for pounding of the cooked yam.
When pounding, you will need water in a small bucket because it tends to get sticky while pounding. So you can deep the pestle in the water and continue pounding.
Some tend to add the hot water from the pot of cooked yam when pounding to make the texture smooth or when the pounded yam is not for immediate eating.
To prepare pounded yam, you will need to cook the yam until it’s very soft. This is to enable the pounding to be less stressful.
Welcome back to another recipe with Dee’s Mealz. So, let’s begin cooking.
INGREDIENT
- 1 ½ tuber medium size yam
PREPARATION
Peel the yam and cut into small sizes.
Wash with water twice and add to a pot fit to contain the yam.
Set on heat, add water to the level of the yam and allow to cook till very soft.
While you wait for the yam to cook, you can wash the mortar and pestle and allow to dry. This is to rid it of any form of dirt from all your previous poundings.
When the yam is cooked, get a small bucket and fill it with water.
Set the yam down from heat and pound. Getting help from someone will make it easier while you pound.
All they have to do is put the boiled yam into the mortar while you pound.
Note: To get it to be very smooth, pound the quantity you can handle.
Close the pot immediately to avoid the rest of the yam getting cold.
Note: if the pounded yam is for commercial purpose, then you can leave the pot on heat and fetch when ready to pound.
Pound very well till its soft. When it gets sticky on the pestle, dip the pestle in the cold water and continue pounding.
You can fetch a little of the hot water and add to the yam but there is no need if you will be serving immediately after pounding.
When the poundo is soft enough, dip your hand in water before packing it out of the mortar to serve.
Serve with soup of choice.
Below is a list of soup recipes that can be served with pounded yam: –
- Egusi Soup
- Fresh okro Mixed with Ewedu Leaf
- Ogbono Soup
- Nigerian Vegetable Soup etc.
Do enjoy and don’t forget to share with friends and family.
