Yam at Staples Corner

Welcome to ‘Staples Corner’!

I’m looking forward to sharing how I enjoy African staples like yam, plantain, cassava, cocoa yam, rice and sweet potatoes.

They’re easy to find, easy to cook and a satisfying addition to your eating experience!

I find they go down well with traditional dishes like savoury pies, roasts and stews, once you see how easy they are to cook, I’m sure you’ll find so many ways to enjoy them.

Let’s start with yam.

An excellent alternative to potato – chipped, boiled, mashed or baked – you can treat them the same.

Apparently Usain Bolt’s mum made yam an important part of his diet – he seems to have done quite well on it!

There are many types of yam, varying in size, flavour and colour, from white to yellow to purple, depending on the type. Their skins are brown and often hairy and resemble the bark of a tree. You can find them in some supermarkets and also in just about any Afro-Caribbean and Asian food shop.

One of my favourites is Ghana’s pale yellow fleshed variety, puna, for its fluffy texture and distinctive taste.    In America, the term yam is used to describe the orange sweet potato, but in my blog I’m talking about yam as Africans know it.

You don’t have to buy a whole yam, most shops will sell you half a yam or a piece. Always discard the ends.

Simply peel, slice and chop into bite-size chunks, then put in a pan of salted boiling water, for roughly 10-12 minutes until it’s soft enough to stab through with a sharp knife.

Tip – For best results, cook the yam on a rolling boil, if you reduce to a simmer, it becomes water-logged and soggy.

Sometimes I add turmeric (about a heaped teaspoon) to the boiling water. Once it’s cooked, the yam has that golden look of butternut squash and when you cut through it, the creamy-white inside is a beautiful contrast!

For chips, bring the thumbed-sized, chunky chipped pieces to the boil, leave to vigorously boil for about 3 minutes, drain, dry and shallow or deep-fry. A favourite with my gang is served with fried eggs and baked beans.

Feel free to tell us your favourite way with yam.

Some of these dishes can be found in my book

Butter-mashed yam with black pepper

Herb & spring onion mashed yam

Yam-topped Shepherds pie

Crunchy yam balls coated with gari – cassava grains

Oto – golden mashed yam. A classic Ghanaian celebratory dish topped with eggs and crispy fried onions