Pounded Yam

Pounded yam is one of the many yam recipes in Nigeria. it is very delicious and also very popular. I like it best when it is served with egusi soup.

Most folks outside the shores of Nigeria are yet to completely grasp the idea behind pounding yam.

On this page, I want to tell you everything you will need to know about this recipe as well as how to prepare pounded yam.

There are many Nigerians that can’t do without pounded yam certainly because it is an integral part of the foods eaten in Nigeria.

Pounded yam

If you are new to Nigerian foods I am going to help you understand what is pounded yam with a very simple definition down the page.

Other Yam Recipes From Nigeria

Over the past few days, I have focused more on different Nigerian yam recipes, I started by suggesting the different ways to turn a tuber of yam into a delicious meal.

I started with porridge yam and then delved into other recipes like pepper soup yam, How To Make Tomato Sauce

You can check for All Yam Recipe Here

Pounded yam in a simple definition is simply boiled white yam that has undergone the process of pounding.

There are other simple ways to achieve this recipe, people have been able to synthesis the process and taken away the “pounding”.

They have been able to produce yam flour that takes about ten minutes of stirring overheat to produce pounded yam.

That is just one way to prepare this food even though most people stick with the old traditional way of pounding boiled yam.

In this case, however, you will be very sure that you are dealing with 100% yam.

Besides, it is a lot cheaper if you decide to pound the yam yourself instead of buying packed yam flour.

What You Need For Pounded Yam

Tubers of yam
Mortar
Pestle
Cooking pot
Water
A kitchen Knife

Preparation

If you have all the above-listed items already then we are ready for the preparation of pounded yam.

Step 1
Go ahead and peel off the brown outer layer of the yam, slice and wash the white part with lots of clean water.

Sliced raw yams

Transfer into a cooking pot and start cooking with just water. Be sure that the sliced yams are almost completely submerged in water.

Step 2
Cook for ten to fifteen minutes then check to see if the yams are soft enough for pounding, you can check with a kitchen fork by piercing. Once the yams are soft enough for pounding you are ready for the pounding part. Be sure that the water is not completely dried because you will need it while pounding the yam.

Sometimes the yam gets very strong during pounding that you will need to add a little water while pounding, you can use ordinary water but the water left after cooking the yam is most suitable.

How To Pound Yam

Step 3
Pick with a fork and transfer into a mortar then go ahead and pound with a pestle, pound until the yam is seedless and can easily be molded, you can add water and pound until you have a smooth soft pounded yam.

Yams in mortar

Pounding yam

You need to know that the yam used for the preparation of pounded yam must have stayed for at least three months on the surface, we don’t use newly harvested yams for the preparation of pounded.

Step 4
Pounded yam in Nigeria is not served as a course meal but paired with a plate of Nigerian soups, it goes best with egusi or bitter leaf soup.

Pounded yam is a type of swallow in Nigeria. Other swallows include eba, fuff, and tuwo shinkafa.

I am yet to figure out a way to preserve this food over twenty-four hours. So just pound only what you can consume within 12 hours

Pounded yam

Pounded yam | How to Pound yam the Local way.

Chef Chidi
Pounded yam is a popular swallow in Nigeria. It could be served with any of the popular Nigerian soups.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Pounding Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Nigerian Cuisine
Servings 2 People
Calories 774 kcal

Equipment

  • Mortar
  • Pestle
  • Cooking pot
  • Water
  • A kitchen Knife

Ingredients
  

  • 2 KG Yam
  • Water

Instructions
 

  • Peel off the back of the yams, slice to any size and start cooking with just 4 cups of water.
  • It should be soft after cooking for 15-20 minutes.
  • Pound using a mortar and pestle.
  • If the yam are too hard to pound add a little water - the water from the cooked yam.
  • Note: Most newly harvested yams do not have the pounded yam consistency.
  • You want to use tubers that have stayed over 3 months.
  • Serve Pounded yam with a plate of delicious Nigerian soup.
Keyword Pounded yam, pounding yam, Swallow

Compare Other Delicious Yam Recipes With Pounded Yam

How to Make Porridge Yam

Learn how to make eba, They are closely related.

Return to All Nigerian Foods

Please drop a comment below, thanks

24 Comments

Adebayo A
Reply

Thanks for the explicit tutor on pounded yam. Please are there any that can pound yam for one.

August 7, 2022
Constance
Reply

Must the yam be strong or
fluff 😄😄😄😄😄

March 28, 2022
Cassandra
Reply

5 stars
My first time at trying pounded yam was on Saturday the 2nd of October ,2021. I had it with vegetables and chicken hmmmm at first I thought I wouldn’t swallow but I took a little bite and dip it in the vegetables which contains catfish and damnnn this food was good I couldn’t even finish eating because halfway I was full this can be used as a complete meal. Thanks to my Nigerian friends

October 8, 2021
Dinma Ezeogu
Reply

Pls ma do I need to cut off the head of d yam ( d soft part) before boiling ?itried preparing it but appears to b very soft wat could b d cause?

September 19, 2021
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

U added too much water or overcooked it. Try another yam specie also.

September 28, 2021
Joke
Reply

Please ma can I use small mortar (size 3) to pound yam ? Cause I don’t have the big size

October 15, 2020
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Yeah, sure.

October 17, 2020
Hope
Reply

Tanks MA, well this is my first time to pound yam ND I really wanna give it a try, will give u feetback

December 26, 2018
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Ok, I will be waiting.

December 29, 2018
Chidinma
Reply

Thanks Chi. God bless you.

December 5, 2018
Regina David
Reply

Wow

October 28, 2018
Bolanle
Reply

Wow this is good

May 21, 2018
Emmanuel Elom
Reply

O Thank You A Lot For A Quit Felicitous Information About How To Prepare pounded yam, One Of My Best Food I Can Say You Have Done Much

December 14, 2017
Saleem Muhammad
Reply

Maybe ten

October 25, 2017
wale
Reply

Pls how many tuber of yam can feed twelve people

June 15, 2017
Aghedo Laura
Reply

Thanks Ma its my first time of pounding yam today 30th of May,2016. its came out superb am grateful because my hubby really enjoyed it

May 30, 2016
Chikwado
Reply

Thanks for the info, you have really improved my cooking since I started following your site and emails, God bless you. thanks

July 9, 2014
Amarachi Ukwandu
Reply

OMG! I love to eat this and egusi soup, my uncle made this egusi soup with catfish and also pounded yam, menn, it was beyond delicious. I ate twice. lol

July 9, 2014
Miracle
Reply

You guys are welcomed to the Nigerian kitchen. Pounded yam is one of such foods that are eaten by almost every Nigerian. You can combine with anyone of the many soups of Nigeria, I like it best egusi soup; thanks for your contributions. You can learn to make other delicious Nigerian foods. Feel free to check around

August 11, 2013
Mia
Reply

Thank you Chidi for your contribution to humanity, I have learned to make lots of the recipes of Nigeria by following your site. Your emails are very informational. I just purchased the 50 Delicious Nigerian Recipe (eGuide), before this time I purchased a cookbook from another lady that was so boring to read! Your eGuide is truely the best in the world and I would advise everyone to get it. Thanks for the tips and tricks, the pounded yam and all, it has been a wonderful year for me and my family, thanks. Mia from Ghana

August 9, 2013
Rita
Reply

The best pounded yam I have eaten was served with egusi soup. The egusi soup was very delicious because it was made with fresh fish (catfish) and washed utazi leave… It was super delicious. Thanks for teaching me all of this wonderful recipes. Keep the work going

August 9, 2013
The Nigerian Kitchen
Reply

Hello Mia, I believe poundo yam will serve the exact purpose, although I have not tried it but it seem to be really nice… from what I hear

July 22, 2013
Mia
Reply

Can I use yam flour instead of pounding yam, I hear there are easy ways of doing this without going through the process of pounding.

July 21, 2013
Miss P
Reply

Wow! This appears to be the easiest of all the recipes on this site, I can boil and pound yam… After that we can than talk about the soup. I have a pair of mortar and pestle that has been stashed away in my cupboard for ages, it is time to put them to work

July 21, 2013

Leave a comment

Recipe Rating