Pounded yam is one of the African specialties that most Nigerians will classify as their favorite food. Pounded yam is one of the best swallows and can be eaten with Egusi, Efo, Oha, and others.
You don’t even need to point out your mortar and cocks. It’s from the past. And with the blender, everything is straightforward.
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO MAKE POUNDED YAM
1. Peel, rinse, and slice the white yam into medium cubes.
2. Put in a saucepan, pour water to cover the yam pieces and cook over medium heat.
3. Cook until the yam is cooked. The two signs of a well made pit to make a perfect broken yam are: the surrounding water will be cloudy and a little thick, and it is straightforward to ram the knife into the pit pieces. These read like three signs well, hahaha.
4. Once satisfied, drain the water and leave it. You may need it later, but in my experience, a broken yam made in a blender is usually perfect and does not need water. These mixer blades unquestionably come with pounded yam.
5. Put cooked yam pieces in a jar of your blender. I usually start with a few yam cubes, mix for 2 seconds, and add a few more. Then blend for about 5 seconds, and your broken yam will be smooth. This duration depends on the qualification of your blender.
You can continue with the check and stop the blender when it softens smoothly. The mixer should not be left to work for too long as the broken yam becomes softer and more elastic. Watch the video below to see this in action.
Pounded yam is best served immediately after preparation as it becomes soft and loses elasticity over time.
Watch this video about Nigerian recipes for more information.