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Yam ball is another homemade and street snacks loved by Nigerians, it is also very popular in Ghana and other parts of Africa too. It is delicious and makes perfect snacks for any time of the day. Fluffy mashed yam moulded into balls with other deliciousness and covered in breadcrumbs before deep-fried until golden and crunchy on the outside.
Let me show you how to make the best yam balls recipe everyone would love.
My mum taught me how to make this simple but delicious yam balls. Any time we have cooked yam leftovers, you can be assured that she’s going to make yam balls. I have made today’s recipe as my mum would make hers. She doesn’t stuff her yam balls and she has only ever used canned sardines. She would mix the flaked fish with the well seasoned mashed yam and form into balls.
Yam ball is very easy to make and very versatile too. It can be made vegetarian, you can add all sort of goodies to it to make it to your personal preference. One of the ingredients which is important in achieving a crunchy yam ball is breadcrumbs. In the absence of breadcrumbs, you can use flour but I always use breadcrumbs for the golden and crunchy effect.
Yam balls can be eaten as snacks, or main meal depending on the amount you eat at a time. You can also serve it as a starter when hosting a dinner party. It is suitable for children’s lunch packs and it can be healthy when eaten in moderation.
What are you still waiting for? Let’s get cooking
Ingredients
a small tuber of yam (puna African yam)
Sardine
Salt
Hot sauce or chopped scotch bonnet chillies
Spring onions, chopped (optional)
Chilli flakes; optional
Ground garlic, (optional)
Seasoning
Dried or fresh parsley
2 eggs
Breadcrumbs
Butter
Vegetable oil for frying
How to make yam balls
Peel the yam and cut into small chunks, rinse till clean, add to a pan, add enough water to cover it. Add salt to taste and bring to boil till soft.
While you are waiting on the yam to boil,
Separate the egg yolk from white (put in a separate bowl)
Drain the oil from the sardine if using sardines in sunflower
Check on the yam, once it is done, drain the water, add 3 tablespoons of butter and mash till smooth. (I don’t recommend using blender or food processor for this part as it makes the yam stretchy and that is not what you want)
Add the parsley, any other dry ingredients you will be using to the mashed yam, follow by the sardine and mix together till well combined (you can use your hand to mix if you want) check for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly
Add the yolks and mix to combine
Proceed to add finely chopped mixed peppers or homemade hot sauce to the mashed yam and mix again to combine.
Whisk the reserved egg white till well combined.
At this point, you can choose to put the oil on the stove or wait till you are done moulding the yam balls.
Mould the mashed yam to small balls, dip into the whisked egg white and then into the bread crumbs. Place on a clean plate, repeat this process till you have exhausted the mashed yam
Place a shallow pan on high heat if you haven’t done so before. Add vegetable oil and heat till hot. Test the oil to be sure it’s hot enough. Add a tiny drop of the mashed yam or egg white and if it floats to the top then the oil is ready to use.
Drop the yam balls into the hot oil carefully, do not overcrowd the oil and fry till golden brown. Place on a kitchen towel to drain oil.
Repeat process for all the yam balls. Serve immediately or allow to cool. You can have it with salad, hot sauce or just on its own.
I ran out of breadcrumbs and I was too lazy to make another batch, so I used flour to coat the remaining yam balls. I think I prefer the one with breadcrumbs tho
If you try this recipe, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, it makes me a happy bunny and don’t forget to take a pic of your food. Tag @myactivekitchen when you do. See you on my next post. x
Yam balls Recipe
Ingredients
- A small tuber of puna yam about 1kg African yam
- 1 caned Sardine 90g drained
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon hot sauce or use according to preference
- a few spring onions (about 3 tablespoons) chopped (optional)
- Pinch of chilli flakes optional
- 1 teaspoon ground garlic optional
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried or fresh parsley
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 cups dried breadcrumbs or more as needed
- 3 tablespoons butter softened
- Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Peel the yam and cut into small chunks, rinse till clean, add to a pan, add enough water to cover it. Add salt to taste and bring to boil until soft and tender
- While you are waiting on the yam to boil, prep the other ingredients
- Separate the egg yolk from white (put in a separate bowl). Drain the oil from the sardine if using sardines in sunflower
- Check on the yam, once it is done, drain the water, add butter and mash till smooth. (I don’t recommend using blender or food processor for this part as it makes the yam stretchy and that is not what you want)
- Add the parsley, chopped spring onions, hot sauce and any other dry ingredients you will be using to the mashed yam, followed by the sardine and mix together till well combined (you can use your hand to mix if you want) check for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly
- Lastly, add the yolks to the mashed yam and mix to combine. Whisk the reserved egg white till well combined.
- Place a shallow pan on medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil and heat until hot. Test the oil to be sure it’s hot enough. Add a tiny drop of the mashed yam or egg white and if it floats to the top then the oil is ready to use.
- Mould the mashed yam to small balls, dip into the whisked egg white and then into the bread crumbs. Place on a clean plate, repeat this process till you have exhausted the mashed yam
- Drop the yam balls into the hot oil carefully, do not overcrowd the oil and fry until golden brown. Place on a kitchen towel to drain oil.
- Repeat process for all the yam balls. Serve immediately or allow to cool. You can have it with salad, hot sauce or just on its own.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #MYACTIVEKITCHEN OR TAG @MYACTIVEKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
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