Advertisement

Yam and Chicken Porridge

By Chef Enna

Advertisement

Just like every other food, yam is one food which can be cooked differently. It is super amazing that one food staple can be prepared deliciously in different ways. Yam is one food that I love so much and do not know why. When eating out, I always pick yam first, then go for any other food when it is not available. Also, among my food stuffs, yam is always the first to finish, LoL. My best food is pounded yam and vegetable soup with a lot of protein (meat, fish etc) in it. It is super delicious that I use it to treat myself most times.

I am not writing about pounded yam and vegetable soup sha. I am writing about yam and chicken porridge. Yum right? The inspiration for this is the yam and chicken pepper soup that is usually cooked for lactating mothers in our Igbo society. I have never really asked why the yam and chicken pepper soup is given to lactating mothers, but if you have any idea, I would love to know. The yam pepper soup is best also for people feeling under the weather. With the way the weather is presently, people coming down with cold, catarrh or one illness or the other, it’ll help boost one’s immune system. With the blend of spices ranging from fresh ginger, garlic, pepper, uziza leaves etc, it will surely help to an extent. The yam pepper soup is best served hot. It is a delectable meal and the variant is yam and chicken porridge. While the yam and chicken pepper soup is prepared with “uda” seeds, the porridge is without it. Another difference between the yam pepper soup and the yam and chicken porridge is that the yam pepper soup has more liquid content so that you can chew and drink at the same time, while the yam and chicken porridge is thicker and not watery at all.

Advertisement

This yam and chicken porridge is just like the regular yam porridge but with really soft chicken and without palm oil. When cooking, it could either become yam pepper soup or porridge by the quantity of water added. When you want to prepare the yam and chicken porridge, it is best to start with a certain amount of water (depending on the quantity of your yam and chicken) and then add ware later if necessary. This is one delectable meal to try if you are bored of your regular meals. Food is meant to be experimented with, that is why you see different recipes coming up always. If you’re looking for something different to try this festive season, you should try this yam and chicken porridge. It can be cooked with either utazi leaves (the bitter one) or uziza leaves (the slightly peppery one) in small quantities. Both leaves when used differently give different taste to your food. That is, the yam and chicken porridge taste different when utazi leaves are used and it also tastes different when uziza leaves are used. Both are tasty but then it’s your choice on which leaves to use.

Here is a step by step method on how I prepare this yam and chicken porridge;

The spices/ingredients I use are fresh ginger and garlic, Cameroon pepper/fresh pepper, onions, knorr cubes, salt, curry powder, thyme, yam, chicken and uziza leaves, when the food is ready. The measurement of these spices is as the Spirit leads (lol) and also the quantity being cooked. And while cooking you can add a little bit of more pepper or salt to your taste.

~Firstly, you mix washed Chicken with the spices and parboil on low heat.

Advertisement

~Next you add the cut and washed pieces of yam and stir with the parboiled chicken. It is best to cut the yam into smaller pieces so it can cook perfectly with the chicken.

~Add water enough to cook both yam and chicken.

~Allow to cook till yam is soft.

Advertisement

~Once the yam is done, you add the leaves (you could use uziza or utazi leaves) and stir and it is ready.

This is best served with a very chilled drink, so you have hot food and chilled drink (hahahaha). This meal is quite easy to prepare and I bet you’re going to love it and even make it your regular meal (winks).

To see a video on how I prepared mine, you can check it out on Instagram @thecravefactory.ng. When you prepare yours, I would love to hear your reviews and see your pictures and videos, so, you can send pictures and videos to me via Instagram @thecravefactory.ng.

Regards,

Chef Enna.