Tag Archives: iyan

Pounded Yam Recipe

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Pounded yam recipe courtesy of The Nigerian Cookbook by Miriam Isoun and H.O. Antonio

Pounded yam is a typically Nigerian meal made from vigorously pounding boiled yam in a mortar with a pestle or with an electronic pounding machine. Electronic yam-pounding machines are sold in stores that will boil and pound yam. The quality of the pounded yam is comparable to that done by hand with a mortar and pestle. The varieties of yam known to be good for pounding are usually higher in protein and sugar than those used for boiling.

Directions

  1. Scrub yam, peel and cut it into chunks or slices, and subsequently place in a pot with water to cover.
  2. Cover and cook until it can be pierced easily with a fork.
  3. Pound in a mortar one piece at a time, until a mass forms that pulls away from the sides of the mortar and is elastic to the touch. (With the most powerful mixers, this can be done quite successfully, but since very little water is used and the final product is very firm, do not try it with standard mixers).
  4. Pounding is really not as difficult as it looks, especially when small quantities are being prepared, and everyone loves pounded yam, so it is worth the effort!
  5. Pounded yam is served with soups and stews of many types at main meals.
  • As a variation, boil some ripe plantain with the yam and subsequently pound it with the yam.

Curried Okro Soup Recipe

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Curried Okro Soup recipe courtesy of Nigerian Cookbook by Miriam Isoun and H.O. Anthonio

Ingredients

Onion                                                                    2 large

Vegetable oil or ghee                                           1/2 cup

Garlic                                                                    4 cloves

Black pepper                                                       Pinch

Salt                                                                       1/2 teaspoon

Curry powder                                                       2 teaspoon

Fresh tomato                                                        2 small

Tea-bush leaves, optional                                   4-6 leaves

Coriander powder, optional                                1/4 teaspoon

Turmeric, optional                                                1/4 teaspoon

Okro                                                                     18 -20 large

 

Directions

1.  Slice one onion and fry in the vegetable oil.

2.  Puree the other onion, tomato and garlic in a mortar or blender till very smooth.

3. Add to the onions with the remaining spices. Cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes.

4. Rinse the okro. Cut the heads and tails off the okro and cut each into 2-3 pieces. Add to the spices and cook over low flame for 10-15 minutes until the okro is tender but retains its shape.

5. Serve with rice and a soup or stew containing meat, such as chicken.

 

A “Decent” Nigerian Restaurant in Dublin

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Whenever I travel outside Lagos, I try as much as possible to explore the local cuisine, culture, sights and scenes.  However, on a recent trip to Dublin, Ireland I decided I wanted a taste of home instead.  It was a long 5-day trip and I can only have so many cold sandwiches and roast turkey before the cravings for soft, smooth pounded yam and egusi soup kicks in.  A couple of friends and myself decided to have dinner at Decency African Cuisine Restaurant, located at 40 Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7; phone: +353 1 830 8320. My friends were very excited about the restaurant and spoke about how authentic the food is.  But I was not super hopeful, considering that the restaurant recommendation came from my non-Nigerians friends. At the minimum, I figured it will have a fun evening catching-up with old friends.
We took a taxi to the location, and the taxi driver, as can be predicted, was a Nigerian that had spent over 10 years canvassing through Europe for greener pastures, mostly in Italy and Ireland.  It was an enjoyable ride with the driver sharing several hilarious adventures and feeling nostalgic about life back home.  We eventually got to the restaurant.  It is simple, clean and somewhat comfortable.  It can easily sit about 12 people but not much room for more than 15 customers.  The ambiance is casual with pedestrian wall paintings.  We were warmly greeted by the waiter as soon as we walked in and promptly seated. This was refreshing considering the poor service one often experiences in Lagos, but can be explained by us being the only customers. We visited on a Wednesday and my friend mentioned that it is busier on the weekends.
We ordered the Jollof Rice with fried plantain and beef, moin-moin with barbecued fish and more plantains, and pounded yam with vegetable soup.  They had a relatively comprehensive menu with additional soups items such as Ogbeno soup, Naala soup, Biter leave soup and Oha soup.  See pictures of our orders below.  The food came in generous portions.  The quality was average.  The fried plantains were perfectly golden yellow with just enough salt, but the Jollof rice was dry and the fish was not properly cleaned before grilling. We asked for red stew, a staple in every Nigerian kitchen, but they were out.  The total bill came up to 37 Euros (they only accept cash) but bottled water is complimentary in Dublin, which was a nice surprise.  Overall, this restaurant is not the place to impress a first date or a key client but I’d suggest it as a nice hang-out spot to enjoy a little taste of home.
Pounded Yam with Vegetable SoupJollof Rice with Plantain and BeefGrilled Fish with Plantains, Moin-moin and Vegetables