Vegetable Yam Porridge

Vegetable yam porridge is Yam Porridge with vegetables and possibly herbs added to it. I am making a separate post on it so I can highlight the fact that a variety of vegetables, herbs and combinations of vegetables and herbs can be used in preparing yam porridge.

It is delicious and healthy and can be made with or without any proteins, making it ideal for vegetarians. Vegetable yam porridge is different from Vegetable yam (Ji Akwukwo).

Green amaranth and ugu are the most common leafy vegetables used. Others are kale, kerenkere, arirala  etc. Herbs like curry leaves (pathminger), scent leaf, parsley etc. are also used alone or in combination with the vegetables.

Bitter leaf is another delicious vegetable that is used in the preparation of vegetable yam porridge. The bitter leaf has to be washed thoroughly to remove bitterness, then ogili isi is used rather than ogili okpei.

Anyu (melon pod), is another tasty addition to this dish. It gives it a heavier mouthfeel and adds to the creaminess of the dish. Anyu is not the same as the regular egusi melon commonly used for soup. This type of melon has tiny seeds, it is the flesh of the pod that is used in the preparation of vegetable yam porridge. Peel and cut the anyu in cubes like the yam and add with the yam. 

Ripe or unripe Plantains and sweet potatoes can also be added, besides vegetable yam porridge is closely related to plantain porridge.

I prefer to use dry fish as against meat when cooking vegetable yam porridge but it is all a matter of taste.

Ogili okpei, though tasty in yam porridge can sometimes darken the colour of the slurry.

Here I used green amaranth.

To prepare Vegetable yam porridge

420g yam
2 1/2 cups water
Dry fish or smoked fish 
1/2 cup chopped onions (75g onions)
1 seasoning cube 
salt 
pepper 
1 1/2 tablespoons ground crayfish 
2g ogili okpei (optional) 
3 tablespoons palm oil 
250g vegetable

Cut and peel yam, cut into cubes and rinse in a bowl of water.

Place yam in a pot, add enough water to just cover the yam.

If using dry fish, soak in hot water for 2 minutes, drain and rinse well in cold water. Debone the fish, add to the pot of yam.

Add onions, seasoning cubes, salt and pepper.

(Do not put too much salt because when the yam porridge thickens, the concentration of the salt will be more). 

Place over medium-high heat.

Add crayfish, ground ogili okpei and palm oil. Stir, cover and cook till yam is very soft.

Meanwhile, pick, wash and shred the vegetables and/or herbs, set aside.

The slurry at this stage will be light and watery. Use a wooden spoon if one is available, and stir your yam porridge continuously. You will notice it thickening because the stirring is dissolving some of the yam and acting as a thickener. You take out 1 or 2 pieces of yam, mash them and stir it into the pot.

Reduce the heat and add your vegetable and/or herb, cover and cook for about 3-5 minutes, bearing in mind not to overcook the vegetables and be sure the herbs have infused and flavoured the porridge.

Taste and take off the heat.

Notes

• If using dry herbs, add much earlier in your cooking.

You will also enjoy my Yam porridge, Plantain porridge, Vegetable yam (Ji akwukwo), Poorman’s potato and Achicha (dry Cocoyam). Do you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

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