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Pounded Yam

Iyan, the smooth, stretchy Nigerian staple made from white yam boiled soft and pounded in a mortar until it turns glossy and elastic. Moulded into a ball and eaten with the fingers alongside egusi, okra or efo riro.

MainsVegan8g+ fibre
45 min10 prep · 35 cookMedium472 kcalper serving
Pounded Yam

Instructions

  1. Peel 400 g of white yam with a sharp knife, taking off all the brown skin and any discoloured flesh. Cut the yam crossways into rounds about 3 cm thick, then rinse the pieces in cold water to wash off the surface starch.
  2. Put the yam in a saucepan, cover with cold water by about 3 cm, add 0.25 tsp of salt if using, and bring to the boil over high heat. Lower to a steady simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes.
  3. Test the yam: a knife should slide through the thickest round with no resistance and the surface should look slightly floury. Do not let it collapse into the water. Drain in a colander but keep about 150 ml of the hot cooking water in a cup.

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Per serving

472kcal
6gprotein
112gcarbs
1gfat
16gfibre

Computed from the ingredients against a food database, not estimated. The full nutrient table is in the app.

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