Asaro — Yam Porridge with Bell Pepper

Ingredients

• 1½ lb white yam, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
• 1 Bell Pepper, blended with the tomatoes
• 3 ripe tomatoes, blended
• 1 onion, diced
• ¼ cup red palm oil
• 1 tsp ground dried chili
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish, optional
• 1 bouillon cube
• 2½ cups water
• Handful spinach or scent leaf
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Warm the palm oil in a pot over medium and cook the onion until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the blended Bell Pepper and tomatoes with the chili and fry 8 minutes until the raw tomato smell is gone.
2. Add the yam, water, bouillon, crayfish, and 1 tsp salt. The liquid should just cover the cubes.
3. Simmer covered 18–20 minutes until a fork sinks in easily. Then mash about a third of the yam against the side of the pot and stir — that dissolved starch is what makes it a porridge instead of a soup.
4. Fold in the greens, let them wilt for a minute, and check the seasoning. It should taste sweet from the yam and savory underneath, with heat arriving last.