Chunks of yam simmered in a light palm oil and tomato broth until soft and slightly broken down, a comforting Ghanaian breakfast porridge.
Ghanaian Yam Porridge is a real, traditional Ghanaian dish, known as Ampesi-Style Yam Pottage with Palm Oil. Chunks of yam simmered in a light palm oil and tomato broth until soft and slightly broken down, a comforting Ghanaian breakfast porridge.\n\nYam porridge draws on Ghana's long-standing reliance on yam as a dietary staple, cooked down into a soft, porridge-like consistency as a nourishing, easy-to-digest breakfast or light meal.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Ghanaian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.
Serves 4
Simmer the yam chunks in water for 15 minutes until just beginning to soften but not fully cooked.
In a separate pan, heat red palm oil and cook onion until soft, about 6 minutes.
Add tomatoes and scotch bonnet, cooking for 8 minutes.
Add the sauce mixture to the pot with the yam and its cooking liquid.
Continue simmering for another 20 minutes, mashing some of the yam chunks against the side of the pot as it cooks, until the mixture reaches a soft, chunky, porridge-like consistency.
Stir in flaked smoked fish and crayfish powder, season with salt, and garnish with chopped scallions before serving hot.
Mash some of the yam chunks against the pot as it simmers — this is what naturally thickens the dish into a porridge-like consistency without needing extra starch.
Choose a firm, starchy yam variety that breaks down well when simmered for an extended time.
Adjust the water quantity depending on how thick or loose you prefer the final porridge.
Add fresh shrimp instead of or alongside smoked fish for a different protein.
Some households add a bit of garden egg (African eggplant) for extra texture.
A vegetarian version skips the fish and adds extra vegetables.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.
Yam porridge draws on Ghana's long-standing reliance on yam as a dietary staple, cooked down into a soft, porridge-like consistency as a nourishing, easy-to-digest breakfast or light meal.
True yam has a different starchy texture than sweet potato; sweet potato can work as a substitute but will produce a sweeter, softer result.
Simmer longer, mashing more of the yam as it cooks, to naturally thicken the consistency.
Yes, it reheats well with a splash of water stirred in to loosen it, since it thickens further as it sits.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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