So, my friend insisted that we make yam balls, I couldn’t stop looking at her in amazement; like what is that? Do you want to try new methods of making yam? A lot of people do not like yam and some enjoy eating yam, for people who do not enjoy eating yam, yam ball is a delicious way of preparing yam, it makes you want to eat more yams than already planned. It is a very simple method of preparing yam.
To make this delicious delicacy all you have to do is to use the right ingredients as listed below and also follow the steps on how to cook the meal. This particular way of preparing yam makes it easy for children to eat. Mothers always mash yams for their kids when feeding them, but with this method of preparing yam, it is easier for children to feed themselves.
Ingredients for Yam Balls
These are the ingredients for preparing yam balls, you can add or remove the ingredients of your choice.
- 1kg (2.2lbs) white yam
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup Peak Milk
- 8 small cubes of butter
- 1 small fresh paprika
- Pepper
- 1 small seasoning cube
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ red onion
- Salt (to taste)
- Vegetable oil (for frying)
Notes on the ingredients for preparing yam balls
This is important because most people get confuse about the ingredients and it is only necessary we inform you about the alternative ingredients for preparing yam balls.
- If you do not have white yam where you live, you can manage sweet potatoes but they do not taste the same.
- Peak Milk makes the yam balls moist and creamy.
- Scotch bonnet pepper is atarodo, ose oyibo or atarugu.
- Paprika is sweet peppers that are common outside Nigeria, in Nigeria use tatashe. When using tatashe, you may want to skit the atarodo, ose oyibo or atarugu (scotch bonnet pepper).
- You can use carrot oil to fry the pepper and onions, see the video below.
Before you make Yam Balls
It is important you take notes of these before making yam balls, it makes the preparation faster.
- Dice the peppers and onion.
- Boil two of the eggs till hard. Then cut into pieces. I get about 8 pieces from one egg.
- Peel and cut the yam tuber into medium cubes. Rinse the yam cubes and place in a sizeable pot.
Cooking Directions
In order to prepare yam balls these are the steps you need to take; though people this differently but this is the easiest way of preparing yam balls.
- Pour enough water to about the same level as the yam cubes, add the seasoning cube and black pepper and start cooking on medium heat.
- After 30 minutes, the yam should be soft with a little water in the pot. Add salt and the cubes of butter, stir and set aside to cool down a bit.
- Pour a little vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the onions and peppers for about 7 minutes.
- Mash the boiled yam, adding Peak Milk as you mash. You just need to mash the yam for a bit. See the video below.
- Add the fried peppers and onions and mix very well.
- Set some vegetable oil in a deep pan to heat up. The oil should be 3 inches deep.
- Mould the mashed yam into balls and set aside.
- Break the remaining egg and whisk.
- When the oil is hot, coat each yam ball with the beaten egg before throwing into the hot oil. Put as many balls as you can without overcrowding.
- Stir often and at the first sign of browning, it is ok to take it off the oil.