Asaro — yam pottage with red palm oil

Name: Asaro — yam pottage with red palm oil
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Nigeria
Ingredients: 1 kg peeled yam, in 3 cm cubes; 1 medium onion, about 150 g; 1 red bell pepper, about 150 g, deseeded; 2 tomatoes, about 200 g, chopped; ½ small fresh chilli, optional; 3 tbsp red palm oil, 45 ml; 150 g smoked mackerel flesh, carefully deboned; 10 g ground dried crayfish; 100 g washed spinach, roughly chopped; 700 ml water initially, plus hot water if needed; About ½ tsp salt, adjusted

🍲 Tender yam chunks partly mashed to thicken a red pepper, tomato and red palm oil sauce, with smoked fish and a little spinach.

Ingredients

1 kg peeled yam, in 3 cm cubes
1 medium onion, about 150 g
1 red bell pepper, about 150 g, deseeded
2 tomatoes, about 200 g, chopped
½ small fresh chilli, optional
3 tbsp red palm oil, 45 ml
150 g smoked mackerel flesh, carefully deboned
10 g ground dried crayfish
100 g washed spinach, roughly chopped
700 ml water initially, plus hot water if needed
About ½ tsp salt, adjusted

Preparation

Peel and trim yam, weigh 1 kg flesh, cut evenly and rinse. Debone fish and prepare leaves.

Coarsely blend onion, bell pepper, tomatoes and optional chilli.

Gently heat oil in a heavy pan. Carefully add blended mixture and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring without smoking the oil.

Add yam and 700 ml water. Bring to a simmer, partly cover and cook moderately for about 25–30 minutes.

Check tenderness with a fork. Add hot water if the base dries and continue if centres are firm.

Add fish and ground crayfish. Mash a few yam pieces against the side to thicken, stir gently and cook 5 minutes.

Add spinach and cook about 3 minutes. Taste, salt gradually and adjust with hot water.

Rest 5 minutes off the heat and serve hot with visible chunks in a soft sauce. Timing depends on yam and cube size.