This simple and delicious Nigerian Yam Porridge (Asaro) includes red bell peppers, onion, punya yam, smoked prawns and more! Serve as dinner with gizzard, plantain or fish.
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Yam porridge, also known as yam pottage or jokingly as Jollof yam, is a dish from southwest Nigeria. As the name suggests, it is made with white yam. White yam (aka Punya yam) is boiled with blended pepper, tomato, onion, and vegetable or palm oil.
In Southern Nigeria, particularly among the Yorubas, people mainly consume yam porridge, known as Asaro (pronounced a-sha-row). At Nigerian parties and festivals, yam is considered an alternative to Nigerian jollof rice. It is also served as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
- This Nigerian yam asaro is a flavorful, filling, and comforting dinner option easily customized to suit your taste.
- Serve it with various sides of your choice.
- All you need is six ingredients to make it.
- It is easy to double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd.
Tips and Substitutions
- Oil: Cooking yam porridge is fun and there are different options. You must decide whether to use vegetable or palm oil depending on your taste.
- Add-ins: You also have a choice of flavoring, such as ground smoked prawns or thyme. You can also add spinach 3 – 5 minutes before it is done.
- Sugar: When cooked with vegetable oil, you may or may not add sugar. When cooking with palm oil, you usually skip adding sugar, but there are no rules; it’s your choice!
- Plantain: You can cook yam porridge with ripe plantain instead of sugar. This offers more depth of flavor.
How to Make Nigerian Yam Porridge (Asaro)
- Add one scotch bonnet, bell pepper, onion and a can of plum tomatoes.
2. Blend the mixture and set aside.
3. Peel one punya yam and chop.
4. Add a bowl of water to prevent drying. Rinse the yam to remove dirt and particles.
5. Add enough water to cover the yam in a pot or wok, add salt to taste and sugar (optional), cover the pot, and cook on low/medium heat for about 20 minutes. Pour in the blended mixture, add tomato purée, salt to taste, 1 chicken stock cube, oil, 3 teaspoon of ground smoked prawns, and ½ a diced onion.
6. Cook on low heat for another 10 – 15 minutes (You may have to cook longer using a scotch bonnet and dry pepper to reduce the hotness).
7. Use a wooden spoon or a masher to mash some of the yam.
8. Stir and serve when done.
9. Serve this delicious Asaro yam porridge with Best Nigerian Stew Recipe (Obe ata) or Spicy Grilled Tilapia Fish.
Recipe FAQs
Although yam porridge can be served alone, it’s a big hit when served with fried stew (ata dindin) with either fish or meat. It can also be served with spinach Efo Riro (Nigerian Spinach Stew Recipe), Chicken Gizzard Recipe or Best Nigerian Stew Recipe (Obe ata).
People call Nigerian porridge asaro.
If there are leftovers, then place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave.
More Delicious Nigerian Recipes
Nigerian Yam Porridge (Asaro)
Equipment
- Medium-sized saucepan
- Chefs knife
Ingredients
- 1 white/punya yam
- 1 onion diced
- ⅓ cup oil
- 3 teaspoon of ground smoked prawns
- Salt to taste
- 1 chicken stock cube optional
- Sugar to taste optional
- A splash of palm oil or vegetable oil
Tomato Mixture
- 1 plum tomatoes
- ½ onion
- 1 scotch bonnet or teaspoon of dry pepper optional
- 1 bell pepper
- 2-3 tablespoon tomato paste purée
Instructions
- Add scotch bonnet, bell pepper, onion and a can of plum tomatoes to a blender, blend until smooth and set aside.
- Next, peel and chop the yam. Then, add it to a bowl of water and rinse the yam to remove dirt and particles.
- Add the yam to a medium-sized pot and enough water to cover the yam in a pot. Add salt to taste and sugar (optional). Then, cover the pot and cook on low/medium heat for about 20 minutes.
- Pour in the blended mixture, add tomato purée, salt to taste, chicken stock cube, oil, ground smoked prawns and diced onion. Cook on low heat for another 10 – 15 minutes.
- Use a wooden spoon or a masher to mash some of the yam, stir and serve when done.
Notes
- Oil: Depending on your taste, you must decide whether to use vegetable or palm oil. Palm oil is the traditional ingredient used hundreds of years before vegetable oil was introduced into the region. You also have a choice of flavorings such as ground smoked prawns or thyme.
- Sugar: When cooked with vegetable oil, you may or may not add sugar. Note that sugar is usually not added when cooked with palm oil, but there are no rules; it’s up to you!
- Add-ins: You can cook yam porridge with ripe plantain instead of sugar. You can also add spinach 3 – 5 minutes before it is done.
Boost
Well done! Thanks for this
Rasi
Just followed your recipe - cheers
Jen Sim
You're welcome!