Yam Porridge (Asaro) with Smoked Catfish

A comforting one-pot Nigerian yam porridge, rich with diced yam simmered in a savory pepper sauce with smoked catfish and leafy greens. A deeply flavorful and satisfying meal.

• Prep: 25 min
• Cook: 55 min
• Total: 1 hr 20 min
• Servings: 5
• Cuisine: Nigerian
• Difficulty: Easy

Dietary

• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Egg-Free
• Pescatarian
• High-Protein
• High-Fiber

Tags

• one-pot
• boil
• sauté
• savory
• comfort food
• rich

Ingredients

• 2 pound white yam (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 0.25 cup palm oil
• 1 red onion (medium, half chopped, half roughly chopped)
• 2 Roma tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 1 red bell pepper (roughly chopped)
• 2 Scotch bonnet peppers (stems removed)
• 4 ounce smoked catfish fillet (broken into pieces, ensure no bones)
• 0.25 cup ground crayfish
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube (crushed)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 cup fresh spinach (chopped)
• 3 cup water

Instructions

1. In a blender, combine the roughly chopped red onion, Roma tomatoes, red bell pepper, and Scotch bonnet peppers with 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup palm oil over medium heat. Add the chopped red onion and sauté until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Pour in the blended pepper mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce and the oil to separate.
4. Add 3 cups water to the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the smoked catfish fillet, ground crayfish, crushed vegetable bouillon cube, and 1 teaspoon salt.
5. Add the cubed white yam to the pot, ensuring it is mostly submerged in the liquid. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the yam is tender.
6. Once the yam is tender, use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to lightly mash about half of the yam pieces directly in the pot. This creates a creamy texture for the porridge. Leave some pieces whole for texture.
7. Stir in the chopped fresh spinach. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
8. Serve the Hearty Yam Porridge hot, as a complete one-pot meal.

Notes

If fresh white yam is hard to find, sweet potatoes can be a substitute, but the flavor and texture will be different. Ensure all bones are carefully removed from the smoked fish before adding to the porridge.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 480
• Protein: 28 g
• Carbohydrates: 60 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Fiber: 9 g
• Sodium: 820 mg
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Sugar: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 45 mg