Everything You Need to Know About Making Pounded Yam
Agba!!!
This is the Complete Pounded Yam recipe guide...
You know, the great part is...I don't even have to do much intro to this because we all know how awesome pounded yam is; we've all experienced that yam goodness that just cannot be compared with its swallow counterparts. In this post, I'm going to take you step by step through the whole pounded yam proceedure. You might be thinking...duuh...who doesn't know how to pound yam. But I'm neither starting nor stopping at the point of pounding the yam, we're going to talk about how to select the yam, how to ensure your pounded yam is deliciously lumpless, how to make the yam draw and ensure smoothness e.t.c. Now, are you ready? Yes? Lets jump right into it😀
1. The Selecting Process
This is arguably the most important step. In other to get good pounded yam, you must have good yam in the first place. I can't count how many times I've heard some one say 'ah! This yam is good for pounded yam o'. And I always kept asking myself 'which kin jazz is this?' Lol. I never got the chance to ask, but when I finally did, I was referred to an expert. So with my note and pen, I went to sit at the feet of the Ibaji yam master (turns out ibaji people are yam experts). So after some minutes of learning, I found out that the secret of knowing which yam is good for pounding is...wait for it...drumroll...its skin or back or peel, whatever you call it. It might help to get a yam right now or a just zoom on the yam above. There are 3 major things to check for and thankfully you don't need to open the yam up:
a. The 'cells' on the yam peel: On the skin of the yam, there are small ridge-like compartments/cells. The lesser these ridges are, the better for eating. The more they are, the better for pounding.
b. The spikes: also on the yam peel. The stronger and stiffer the spikes, the better it is for pounding and the smaller the spikes, the less likely it would turn out that perfect drawy pounded yam we all crave.
c. General roughness: so, accoding to the yam sensei😀, rough yams are better for pounding. So if you're someone like me who usually opts for smoother yams in the market, the next time you want to make pounded yam, you might want to rethink that choice.
Lemme add jara for you here, a bonus tip: generally, old yams are better and sweeter than new yams. I know, i know, sounds weird but thats a fact. Some thing to do with maturing and some other things...but thats story for another post.
2. The Peeling, Cutting and Boiling Process
Another critical part. I remember a time growing up I was told to pound yam. Well technically, I was to peel and boil, my brother was to pound. So, I peeled, cut and put the yam on fire and I proceeded to the parlour to press my phone and gist, after all, the yam needs to stay atleast 20-25 minutes right? And then like magic, the next time I checked it, it had almost turned to soup and I was like 'whaaa?'. I learned something critical that day as I had to peel another set. You cannot afford to forget about your yam on fire, unless off course you want to make White Soup...hehe. Other important things to remember are
i. Be careful when peeling the yam, yam peels often cause hands to itch (read how to cure that here)
ii. Dont cut the yam into small pieces, lets say medium sized.
iii. Always cover the pot well, or else some parts get done and others are still uncooked.
iv. Save the water used in boiling the yam, you might want to use it later
3. The Pounding Process
Most people think the best kind of pounded yam is smooth and drawy, which is true. There's nothing like a well pounded lumpless pounded yam. So once again, I asked the sensei 'what exactly gives pounded yam that drawy texture' and the answer is two sided. One is slightly out of our control (starch content) and the other is in our hands completely (how you pound it). You have to pound it hard and fast before it looses its heat in order to give it that texture. Other things to remember are:
i. If you're pounding in batches, ensure to cover the remaining yam left to retain its heat. Cold yam is not poundable at all, trust me, its directly proportional to pounded yam full of lumps.
ii. After pounding to some extent, add the hot yam water to the pounded yam while still in the mortar offcourse for a softer, smoother texture, and mix with the pestle.
iii. After pounding, roll the pounded yam against the side of the mortar with the pestle to make it even smoother. Ensure to sprinkle some water on the side of the mortar you use to prevent sticking.
So there you have it! The complete breakdown of the whole Pounded Yam process, from the very first step to the end. Enjoy your delicious soft, smooth, drawy and lumpless pounded yam with White Soup or any soup of your choice😊.
This is the Complete Pounded Yam recipe guide...
You know, the great part is...I don't even have to do much intro to this because we all know how awesome pounded yam is; we've all experienced that yam goodness that just cannot be compared with its swallow counterparts. In this post, I'm going to take you step by step through the whole pounded yam proceedure. You might be thinking...duuh...who doesn't know how to pound yam. But I'm neither starting nor stopping at the point of pounding the yam, we're going to talk about how to select the yam, how to ensure your pounded yam is deliciously lumpless, how to make the yam draw and ensure smoothness e.t.c. Now, are you ready? Yes? Lets jump right into it😀
1. The Selecting Process
This is arguably the most important step. In other to get good pounded yam, you must have good yam in the first place. I can't count how many times I've heard some one say 'ah! This yam is good for pounded yam o'. And I always kept asking myself 'which kin jazz is this?' Lol. I never got the chance to ask, but when I finally did, I was referred to an expert. So with my note and pen, I went to sit at the feet of the Ibaji yam master (turns out ibaji people are yam experts). So after some minutes of learning, I found out that the secret of knowing which yam is good for pounding is...wait for it...drumroll...its skin or back or peel, whatever you call it. It might help to get a yam right now or a just zoom on the yam above. There are 3 major things to check for and thankfully you don't need to open the yam up:
a. The 'cells' on the yam peel: On the skin of the yam, there are small ridge-like compartments/cells. The lesser these ridges are, the better for eating. The more they are, the better for pounding.
b. The spikes: also on the yam peel. The stronger and stiffer the spikes, the better it is for pounding and the smaller the spikes, the less likely it would turn out that perfect drawy pounded yam we all crave.
c. General roughness: so, accoding to the yam sensei😀, rough yams are better for pounding. So if you're someone like me who usually opts for smoother yams in the market, the next time you want to make pounded yam, you might want to rethink that choice.
Lemme add jara for you here, a bonus tip: generally, old yams are better and sweeter than new yams. I know, i know, sounds weird but thats a fact. Some thing to do with maturing and some other things...but thats story for another post.
2. The Peeling, Cutting and Boiling Process
Another critical part. I remember a time growing up I was told to pound yam. Well technically, I was to peel and boil, my brother was to pound. So, I peeled, cut and put the yam on fire and I proceeded to the parlour to press my phone and gist, after all, the yam needs to stay atleast 20-25 minutes right? And then like magic, the next time I checked it, it had almost turned to soup and I was like 'whaaa?'. I learned something critical that day as I had to peel another set. You cannot afford to forget about your yam on fire, unless off course you want to make White Soup...hehe. Other important things to remember are
i. Be careful when peeling the yam, yam peels often cause hands to itch (read how to cure that here)
ii. Dont cut the yam into small pieces, lets say medium sized.
iii. Always cover the pot well, or else some parts get done and others are still uncooked.
iv. Save the water used in boiling the yam, you might want to use it later
3. The Pounding Process
Most people think the best kind of pounded yam is smooth and drawy, which is true. There's nothing like a well pounded lumpless pounded yam. So once again, I asked the sensei 'what exactly gives pounded yam that drawy texture' and the answer is two sided. One is slightly out of our control (starch content) and the other is in our hands completely (how you pound it). You have to pound it hard and fast before it looses its heat in order to give it that texture. Other things to remember are:
i. If you're pounding in batches, ensure to cover the remaining yam left to retain its heat. Cold yam is not poundable at all, trust me, its directly proportional to pounded yam full of lumps.
ii. After pounding to some extent, add the hot yam water to the pounded yam while still in the mortar offcourse for a softer, smoother texture, and mix with the pestle.
iii. After pounding, roll the pounded yam against the side of the mortar with the pestle to make it even smoother. Ensure to sprinkle some water on the side of the mortar you use to prevent sticking.
So there you have it! The complete breakdown of the whole Pounded Yam process, from the very first step to the end. Enjoy your delicious soft, smooth, drawy and lumpless pounded yam with White Soup or any soup of your choice😊.
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