Yam Balls Recipe: How to Make Nigerian Yam Balls
Yam Balls Recipe: How to Make Nigerian Yam Balls
- African Yam balls – stuffed Nigerian yam balls Recipe (Ji akpuruakpu)
Yams! In Nigeria, yam tubers are a food staple that we don’t have a shortage of. I mean, yams could be found for sale in any corner of the country.
Here at 9jafoods, we have a great selection of yam dishes to go along with the abundance of yam. Stuffed yam balls are one of these dishes.
Another famous handmade and street food in Nigeria is yam ball, which is also popular in Ghana and other regions of Africa.
Stuffed yam balls are a delicious snack that has found its way into our very own Nigerian kitchen. It’s enough to make you drool just looking at it.
It’s delectable and makes excellent snacks at any time of day.
Yam Balls Recipe
Fluffy mashed or grated yam is rolled into balls with other delectable ingredients and then deep-fried till golden and crunchy on the outside. It can be baked for a healthier option
Yam balls are simple to prepare and adaptable to use. It can be turned vegetarian, baked without egg, and you can add a variety of ingredients to customize it to your liking.
Breadcrumbs are a crucial ingredient in making a crunchy yam ball. You can substitute flour for breadcrumbs if you don’t have any, but I prefer breadcrumbs for the golden and crispy finish.
You could also fill it with anything you want, like minced/ground beef or chicken, bell peppers, fresh shrimp, fish, sweet corn, spring onions, carrots, peas, and so on…. the possibilities are endless.
Depending on how much you eat at a time, yam balls can be used as a snack or a big meal. When organizing a dinner party, you can also offer it as an appetizer.
It is suitable for children’s lunchboxes and, when consumed in moderation, can be healthful.
Yam Balls Recipe ~ (Ji Akpuruakpu)
It’s a different way to eat sweet yam. Making yam balls, like many other adaptable Nigerian/Ghanaian/West African recipes, allows for a lot of creativity, especially with seasonings.
Freeh Puna yams are extremely tasty (do not use the yams or sweet potatoes commonly found in U.S. markets).
A Guide When Making African Yam Balls
- Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams ~ Yam Balls Recipe
Recall how you learned in geometry that all rectangles are parallelograms, but not all parallelograms are rectangles?
This, on the other hand, is nature’s version of the same thing. By definition, all yams are sweet potatoes. However, this is not always the case.
Even though these two vegetables are sometimes used interchangeably, there have significant distinct characteristics.
Sweet potatoes, as the name implies, are sweeter than yams, which have more starch and hence require more cooking time.
- Seasoning Fried Foods with Salt ~ ~ Yam Balls Recipe
When the African yam balls are done frying in oil, remember to salt them right away. The oil cools and forms a hard shell around the balls if you wait too long.
Instead of being absorbed into your food, salt bounces off this armor.
What Goes Well with African Yam Balls?
Because this dish is fried and rich in starch, don’t serve it with anything oily or high in starch as a side dish.
So, instead of bread or pasta, opt for dishes that are heavy in either protein (like chicken breasts) or veggies (like broccoli) (say a salad).
Yam Balls Recipe ~ Ingredients
- 4 big slices of yam
- Cube seasoning
- Canned mackerel fish
- Fresh bonnet peppers sliced
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- Onions sliced thinly
- 1 large egg
- Flour or bread crumbs for coating
Method
- Firstly, prepare the yam by slicing and cooking it as needed. Then a Allow cooling before mashing until completely smooth.
- Secondly, combine the mashed yam, spice cubes, salt, onions, egg yolk, peppers, margarine, and mackerel fish in a large mixing bowl.
- Thirdly, whisk the egg white in a separate dish. In another separate plate, place some flour or bread crumbs for coating.
- Fourthly, preheat the vegetable oil and then, roll out the yam mixture into little balls with your clean hands.
- After that, dip the yam balls in the egg wash and immediately coat them in flour/breadcrumbs
- Finally, carefully drop the yam balls into the hot vegetable oil, then deep fry the yam balls until they are crispy on the outside.
Serve immediately with a hot pepper dip or chilled juice.
