Inyan (pounded yam)

Serves three

Ingredients
1 yam tuber* medium size, about 5 lbs.
5 cups water

Equipment
mortar and pestle, food processor or blender
knife
large skillet
spatula or spoon
bowl

Preparation

1. Peel off skin of yam with knife and cut into 1/2-inch lengths.
   
2. Wash in cold to lukewarm water.
3. Place yam in a large skillet and bring to a boil.
4. Add enough water to cover the yam and cook for 25 minutes.
5. Drain and pound smooth in mortar and pestle, or put in food processor or blender one piece at a time until it forms a soft dough of pounded yam.
6. Serve with okra soup or Egusi soup.

Serves five to six

Ingredients
3 pounds beef (optionally, fish or goat meat)
1 cup dried crayfish* (optionally dried shrimp*)
2 pounds okra*, chopped or ground in a blender
1 teaspoon dried red pepper*, powdered or crushed (optional, chopped or ground red bell pepper)
2 tablespoons salt
1 medium onion, chopped
4 tablespoons red palm oil*
spinach, chopped
7 cups water

Equipment
skillet
mortar and pestle or food processor
knife
large spoon for stirring
cutting board

Preparation

1. Cut beef in small pieces
2. Place in skillet with water
3. Add onion and salt
4. Boil for 15 to 25 minutes
5. Add okra and stir until blended in
6. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cook for 10 more minutes
7. Serve warm with inyan (pounded yam), pounded cassava, or eba (fried grated cassava)

Serves four

Ingredients
2 cups rice
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon cooking oil or margarine (optional)
4 cups water

Equipment
skillet

Preparation

1. Rinse rice (optional)
2. Combine rice, water, salt, and cooking oil or margarine in skillet
3. Bring to a boil; stir once or twice
4. Cover with lid and lower heat
5. Simmer for twenty minutes
6. Do not drain
7. Serve with stew (sauce or pepper soup)

Serves four to six

Ingredients
3 pounds stewing beef (optionally, goat meat or fish)
1 medium onion, chopped or ground in blender
1 teaspoon dried red pepper, crushed or ground
fresh red tomatoes, chopped or ground in blender (optionally, one 6 oz can tomato paste)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
2 Maggi cubes (optional)
1 teaspoon thyme leaves (optional)
1 cup water

Equipment
stewing pot
mortar and pestle, food processor, or blender
knife
spatula or spoon
cutting board

Preparation

1. Cut up beef (or goat meat) in small pieces and place in stewing pot
2. Combine with water, salt, and onion
3. Boil until meat is tender
4. Drain
5. Remove meat from pot and save water in a bowl
6. Heat oil in stewing pot, add and brown onion
7. Add meat and ground tomatoes or dilute tomato paste with water and add to meat
8. Add the remaining ingredients one by one, stirring each as added
9. Simmer for ten minutes and serve with rice

Serves four

Ingredients
4 cups gari* (fried, grated cassava)
8 cups water

Equipment
mortar and pestle, blender, or food processor
spatula or spoon for stirring
skillet or kettle
bowl

Preparation

1. Bring water to a boil in skillet or kettle
2. Pour boiled water into mortar or bowl
3. Sprinkle gari into the water until it forms a heavy paste
4. Pound the paste in a mortar with pestle or in a blender to the consistency of soft dough
5. Serve with okra soup or egusi soup

Serves five to six

Ingredients
3 pounds goat meat (optionally, fish or beef)
1 cup dried crayfish*
2 cups melon seed, ground*
1 teaspoon dried red pepper, ground or crushed
2 tablespoons salt
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons red palm oil*
bitterleaf*, chopped (optionally, spinach or kale)
7 cups water

Equipment
skillet
mortar and pestle, blender or food processor
knife
large spoon for stirring
cutting board

Preparation

1. Cut meat in small pieces and place in skillet
2. Combine with water, onion, salt and boil for 15 to 20 minutes
3. Add ground melon seed and remaining ingredients, stirring as added
4. Cook for 10 more minutes, and serve with eba/gari, (mashed or fried grated cassava), Inyan (pounded yam), or pounded cassava.

29 April 1996