Ingredient Substitution Guide

1. Step 1

   Add 4 cups water to a medium bowl. Using a sharp knife, slice the yam into 2-inch-thick rounds. (Vegetable peelers don’t get through the thick brown skin here. A knife is more efficient.) Trim off the brown skin: Make a slit through the skin, just deep enough for the knife to touch the white flesh. Peel off the skin and discard. Cut yam into ½-inch cubes, transferring them to the water to keep them from turning brown. Swish and drain the cubes until no longer slippery and the water runs clear, about 5 minutes.

2. 1. Step 2

      Transfer yams to a blender and, working in batches if necessary, pulse on low just enough to break up. Add 2 tablespoons water if you have trouble getting the pieces moving. Purée on high until completely smooth, about 1 ½ minutes.

3. 1. Step 3

      Pour the purée into a medium pot, and stir in ½ cup water until smooth. Place the pot over medium heat. Cover, with the lid cracked, and cook until steam begins to rise from the sides of the pot, 6 to 8 minutes. Don’t leave the pot unattended; the liquid may quickly bubble up over the sides. 

4. 1. Step 4

      Remove the lid, cook and stir, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom. You should have a thick, chalky-looking dough. It will be loose at the center, thickened at the sides and stiff at the bottom. Fold the dough over and onto itself until it’s a smooth, thickened paste, about 4 minutes. (A thin film of starch will form on the bottom, and that's OK.)

5. 1. Step 5

      Cover and continue cooking until bubbles slowly rise to the top and the dough pulls away from the pot, about 5 minutes. 

6. 1. Step 6

      Uncover and increase the heat to medium-high. Repeat the folding until a smooth, glossy, sticky dough forms, 3 to 4 minutes. It should be soft and pliable, supple and loose enough to fall off a wet spoon with a soft plop. Remove from heat, cover and let thicken as it cools, at least 5 to 15 minutes.

   2. Step 7

      Form the mixture into balls to serve: Fill a bowl with water and dip a large serving spoon to wet it, then scoop the dough. Press the scooped dough against the side of the pot to shape the dough into a ball, then transfer to individual shallow bowls. Repeat with the remaining dough to form 2 to 3 more balls, dipping the spoon into the water before each scoop. Serve alongside ẹ̀fọ́ riro, egusi soup, with ọbẹ̀ onírù or any braised meat.

Tips

• Different from sweet potatoes, yam, a large brown, thick-skinned tuber with a stiff white or yellow crisp flesh, is available fresh at African, Caribbean and some international grocery stores. Store yams once purchased at room temperature in a cool dry place.

• If your yams have been pre-cut in store, look for fresh ones with a bright hue under the peel. Tap the surface of the skin lightly with your finger. You should be able to hold the tuber in your hand without making an indentation. Soft spots mean they haven’t been properly stored. Depending on the type you use (white or yellow), the purée might change color while it cooks from white to pink or dark brown. This does not affect the taste. Yellow yams are more likely to turn a different color as they oxidize faster.