RataterraFirst edition in progress
My atlas

Searches names, synonyms and regional names, with or without accents.

    Potatoes · Recipe · Nigeria · Reference page

    Asaro (yam pottage)

    àsáró

    Chunks of yam simmered in a blend of red pepper, scotch bonnet, tomato and onion, enriched with palm oil and crayfish, partly mashed and finished with fish and greens. It is the Yoruba yam pottage of south-western Nigeria. Quantities follow Lola Osinkolu's recipe.

    Asaro yam pottage with tender yam chunks,fish flakes and chopped greens in a white bowl.
    Editorial illustration of the documented recipe; not a photograph of a kitchen-tested result.
    Servings
    4
    Preparation
    10 min
    Cooking
    30 min
    Total
    40 min
    Difficulty
    Easy

    Equipment

    • Blender
    • Heavy saucepan with a lid; potato masher or wooden spoon
    Servings4

    Ingredients

    Shopping list

    Method

    1. Peel the yam, cut it into medium chunks and rinse several times until the water is no longer cloudy.

      Why Rinsing removes surface starch so the pottage is creamy, not gluey.

    2. Blend the bell pepper, habanero, tomato and half the onion.

    3. Put the yam in the pot with the blended sauce, salt, bouillon and water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over a medium-high heat.

      Timer · 10 min10:00

    4. Stir in the palm oil, the sliced onion and the crayfish. Cover and cook 10 minutes more.

      Timer · 10 min10:00

    5. Mash some of the yam with a masher or wooden spoon, leaving some chunks for texture.

      Why The mashed yam thickens the liquid into a porridge around the whole pieces.

    6. Add the fish and simmer 3–5 minutes. Stir in the greens and serve hot.

      Timer · 5 min5:00

    To drink & serve with

    • Jollof rice with chicken

      Editorial suggestion: a one-pot meal on its own; jollof rice is another Nigerian classic in the atlas.

    Substitutions

    • Smoked mackerel → Smoked fish, stockfish, crab meat, or leave it out for a meatless pottage (then also omit the crayfish).
    • Palm oil → There is no true substitute; Guardian Nigeria's recipe uses much less (1½ spoons) for a lighter pot.

    Common mistakes

    • Over-seasoning: yam is sweet and the fish and crayfish are already salty.
    • Mashing it all: some whole pieces make the dish.

    Storage & reheating

    Best hot and fresh; it thickens as it stands. Refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 2 days, loosening with water when reheating.

    Safety

    Contains crustaceans (crayfish) and fish. Leave both out for a version free of these allergens.

    Allergens

    Crustaceans · Fish

    Check labels: stock, bacon and sauces can contain further allergens.

    Dietary

    gluten-free · dairy-free

    Asaro in Yoruba

    The Guardian of Nigeria describes yam pottage, or yam porridge, as known locally as asaro in the Yoruba part of the country: a soft dish made with yam and palm oil. Its version fries onion in palm oil, cooks a blend of scotch bonnet, tomato and onion with crayfish and seasoning, then adds yam and smoked mackerel and cooks until soft, with ugwu or scent leaf at the end.

    [1]

    Half mashed, half whole

    Lola Osinkolu, who publishes as Chef Lola's Kitchen, rinses the yam until the water runs clear, cooks it in the pepper blend for ten minutes and adds palm oil, onion and crayfish for ten more. Then she mashes part of the yam and leaves the rest in chunks, which gives the dish its texture: a thick, red-gold porridge around tender pieces.

    [2]

    How it connects

    Place

    • origin Nigeria In preparation

    Recipe

    Continue exploring