How To Cook Yam and Beans Pottage

Yam and beans pottage is a classic Nigerian dish enjoyed by many Nigerians. Some people call it porridge while others call it pottage.

Nigerian beans porridge is made with beans and other ingredients such as plantains, cocoyam or yam. For this recipe, I would be cooking with yam.

Let’s talk some more about Nigerian beans.

Beans

Beans is one of the staple Nigerian foods that you will always find in many people’s kitchen in Nigeria.

Beans is widely eaten in Nigerian to the point that beans is used to make soups, street food, snacks and even traditional Nigerian cuisine.

There are three (3) major types of Nigerian beans which are

Oloyin beans
Olotu beans
White beans or Iron beans.

All the above listed types of beans have different cooking time and unique taste which have been explained here.

But, I can assure you that they all types taste delicious. You should check many more beans recipes here.

For this local yam and beans recipe, I will be using Oloyin beans.

However, you can use any of the types of beans listed above for this recipe.

Another important ingredient for this recipe is yam.

Yams

Traditional Nigerian Cuisine can not be discussed without mentioning African yams.

Yam is a major Nigerian food enjoyed by Nigerians from any part of the country. It is very easy and simple to cook and most importantly, yams cook very fast.

Listed below are the different cooking method used to prepare yams.

Roasting – yams are cut into chunks and placed over hot charcoal till it cooks well. When roasted yams is properly cooked , it has a brown burnt exterior which is peeled to reveal white well cooked yam. Yam cooked with this method is a popular street food common sold and eaten for lunch. It is usually enjoyed with spicy palm oil stew.
Pounding – pounded yam is a major traditional meal served during special occasions such as wedding, christening ceremonies and many more. Here is How To Make Pounded Yam and this particular delicacy is enjoyed with a wide variety of Nigerian soups .
Frying – Making fried yam is as simple as ABC. All you need to do is to have the yam, cooking oil and some salt if you want.
Boiling – Boiled yams is considered to be healthier than fried yam because of the absence of cooking oil in its preparation. Boiling yams is so easy that even a beginner can quickly prepare boiled yam for breakfast, lunch and even dinner. You should try Egg Stew With Boiled Yams.

I should also inform you that, yams are dried and later grinded to powder form to make elubo.

Before I list the ingredients you need for this recipe, I will like to show you where you can shop for authentic Nigerian foods in the United Kingdom at yournativefoodstore.com

Below listed are the ingredients you need to quickly make this beans porridge recipe with yams.

Ingredients for beans and yam porridge

4 slices yam
water
2 cups Oloyin beans
1/4 cup palm oil
2 medium sized onions
2 tomatoes
1 bell pepper
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 cayenne peppers
Ponmo/cow skin
1/2 mackerel/Titus fish
2 seasoning cubes
3 table spoons crayfish powder
1/2 tablespoon salt

I should inform you that you can reduce or increase the peppers to your taste.

Now here is the cooking procedure you need to make this delicious beans and yam porridge.

How to cook beans and yam porridge

Clean the mackerel fish well.
Put the cleaned fish into a pot.
Add some water, salt and seasoning.
Cook for 5-10 minutes.
Take the pot off the cooker.
Then allow the fish to cool down then remove the bones.
Pick the beans to remove the dirt such as chaff, stones and so on.
Clean tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, scotch bonnet pepper and cayenne pepper.
Chop one of the onions and set aside.
Blend the remaining one onions with the tomatoes and peppers then set aside.
Set your cooker to high heat.
Pour water into your pot.
Place the pot on your cooker.
While the pot of water is on the cooker.
Rinse the beans to remove the dirt.
Pour the beans into a pot of water on the cooker.
Cook the beans for 5-10 minutes.
While the beans is cooking, Peel of the skin from the yam slices.
Put the peeled yams into a bowl of water immediately after peeling to avoid discolouration.
Cut the yam slices into small pieces to help save cooking time and resources
After cooking the beans for 10 minutes.
Drain off the beans water by pouring it into a colander.
Pour the beans back into the pot.
Add fresh clean water and cook until the beans is very soft – soft enough to be eaten.
Take the cooked beans off the cooker.
Place your frying pan on the cooker.
Pour palm oil into the pot.
Allow it heat up for 1 minute on medium heat.
Add the chopped onions into the hot oil
Fry for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
Put the other ingredients such as ponmo, mackerel fish, blended pepper mix, seasoning, salt and crayfish into the hot oil.
Mix well and fry for 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove the fried sauce from the cooker.
Continue cooking the beans by putting the beans back on the cooker.
Add the cleaned yams into the beans
Pour the fried palm oil sauce into the beans
Mix well and cook for 20-30 minutes or till the yams are very soft.
Reduce the the cooking heat to low heat.
Then mash the yams and the beans with with a masher, omorogun or spoon.
After mashing, allow the beans and yam porridge to simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes.