Yam Pottage (Asaro)

Asaro – Yam Pottage. It is a very popular Nigerian mashed Yam and Tomato stew infused dish. You can either prepare your  Yam pottage very mushy or you can have it part mushy.
You can choose to add vegetable to your Yam Pottage or have it without, this recipe shows you how to prepare both.
Don’t be perturbed by the exhaustive list of ingredients, most of them are optional. Yam pottage can still be enjoyed without adding proteins,  rich and natural flavours of smoked turkey and dried stockfish in yam pottage, hence the inclusion. If you don’t already do this, you really should. Also, you don’t have to depend on using palm oil, vegetable oil is just as good, if not tastier.

Ingredients:

1Tuber Medium Size White/Puna Yam, washed and chopped into small chunks
2 Cooking Spoons Palm Oil/Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup of washed and chopped Ugu or Spinach leaves. You can also use Coriander/Cilantro if you’re using vegetable oil.(Optional)
#50 Red Bell Pepper( Tatashe)
#50 medium Tomatoes
1 Big Onion
#50 Scotch Bonnet( Atarodo)
Smoked Turkey (Optional)
Ponmo (Optional)
Medium Size Smoked Fish
Medium size Stockfish (Panla) (Optional)
#100 Heaped Tablespoon Ground Crayfish
Locust Beans (Iru)
1 Maggi Crayfish or your preferred Bouillon cubes
1/2 Teaspoon your Preferred Seasoning
Salt to Taste

Preparation:
Wash and boil the meats you’ll be using if you’re using any. Remember to boil, the tougher meats first, then add the softer meats along with the stockfish. If you’ll be using smoked fish, add this around 2-3 minuts before final doneness to soften it up. Do season them really well as you’ll be using some of the stock later.
Get a  pot, place on a hob on medium heat, add the palm oil. When it’s hot, add 1/2 sliced onions, sauté till fragrant.
When it’s fragrant, add the locust beans, sauté for 2 minutes.
If you’re using vegetable oil, skip the locust beans, unless you like the taste of locust beans in
vegetable oil…
After 2 minutes, add the blended pepper, bouillon cube and salt to taste. Cover and fry for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
While the stew is frying, transfer the yam into a pot, add enough water to cover it, add just a bit of salt and parboil for 10 minutes. Don’t overcook or cook till soft, just till it’s a tad bit tender.
Check on the stew, when it’s fried, you’ll know when the pepper reduces considerably and you can’t taste the sourness of the tomatoes anymore.
Add 1-2 cups of stock, combine and leave to cook for a further 5 minutes.
Now, add the parboiled yam, along with the shredded meats.
Combine thoroughly, turn the heat down to low, cover and leave to cook for 15 minutes or until the yam softens.
When the yam  softens, mash half of the yam and cook for 5 minutes.
If you’re not using vegetables, your Yam Pottage is ready after 5 minutes. If you’re using vegetable, then continue with the recipe.
After 5 minutes, add the Ugu or whichever vegetable leaves you’re using.
Switch off the heat at this time and let the vegetables simmer in the pottage with the residual heat for 5 minutes.

And your Asaro – Yam Pottage is ready.