This fried yam recipe is easy, quick, and simply the best. In this post, I will teach you how to fry yam that is soft inside, crispy outer, and delicious. We like to serve crispy African yam with fried plantain, pepper sauce, fish, chicken, or beef.
Fried Yam Recipe (How To Fry Yam)
With this fried yam recipe you will learn how to fry yam two ways. These African yam fries are crispy and delicious and about to be your favorite side dish or snack.
Fried yam is popular street food in African countries like Nigeria, and Ghana. It's usually served with pepper sauce and sometimes with fried plantain, and fish.
It makes a great side dish, and can also be eaten as snacks.
With only few ingredients, you can make this tasty dish in no time at all. It is plant based, vegetarian and vegan.
You don't need heavy equipment to make it. The tools required are kinfe, bowl, and pot. Let me show you how to make it.
Related: Fried potatoes , Fried Plantain
Ingredients
Yam (African yam, puna yam)
Vegetable oil
Salt
How To Fry Yam
Slice the yam, peel off the skin, then cut into batons, fries, or dice into cubes.
Cut into a bowl of cold water to avoid discoloration of the yam if exposed to air.
Wash then soak the cut yam in cold water for at least 30 minutes. If you don't have time to soak the yam, move to the next step immediately.
Drain the yam, and season with salt.
Place a deep pot on the stove on medium heat. Add vegetable oil into the pot, and heat.
When oil is slightly heated, add in the yam, add carefully add some water in bit by bit.
Fry yam slowly till the inside is tender and the outside crispy.
Use a slotted spoon to pack the fried yams out of the oil and put on a paper towel covered plate.
Serve and enjoy.
Boil and Fry Yam Method
This method involve parboiling the yam before frying. With this method, you don't add water to the oil to fry, and frying is quicker than the other method. Here's how to:
Slice the yam, peel, and cut into batons or any shape of your choice.
Rinse the yam, drain and add the yam pieces into a pot.
Add water to the pot to cover the yam pieces by at least 1 inch, and add salt to it.
Cover the pot, place the pot on medium heat and boil the yam till it's almost soft but firm.
Drain the water and leave the yam in colander for 5-10 minutes to cool.
Put a pot or frying pan on medium heat. Add oil, and heat it.
When heated, add in the yam and fry till it's crispy outer and fluffy inside. This takes about 6-8 minutes.
How Long To Fry Yam
This depends on the size the yam is cut into, the temperature of the oil, and the method used in frying. If frying without boiling first, how long to fry yam is about 12-15 minutes.
If pre boiled, it takes 6-8 minutes.
Yam is fried when the inside is soft and fluffy, and the outer crisp. You can check this by taking a piece of the yam, and cutting into it.
Also, dry yam will take longer to fry than new yam. Dry yam will benefit from soaking it in water before frying.
What To Serve With Fried Yam
Some foods to serve with are:
Pepper sauce
Grilled fish, Air fryer Tilapia
Chicken
Corned beef stew
Puff puff
Akara
How To Store
Leave fried yam to cool completely, then put in an airtight container, or Ziploc, label with name and dates then store in the fridge where it will keep well for up to 3 days.
If you are unlikely to use it within the 3 days, then it's best to store it in the freezer. It will keep well for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Reheating: You can reheat from chilled or from frozen in the oven, air fryer, microwave, or refry on the stove top.
To reheat in the microwave- Put the yam on a microwaveable plate, cover with microwave lid, and air fry at low settings for 1-2 minutes, then on high settings at 30 seconds interval till it's warmed through.
Tips For Making Fried Yam
- Be careful when peeling the yam and avoid the peel coming in contact with your skin as this can cause severe itching.
- Cut the yam into similar sizes so they fry evenly.
- Cut yam into a bowl of cold water to avoid discoloration of the yam.
- If you have the time, soak the yams in cold water for 30 minutes or more before frying.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. If need be, fry in batches.
- You can add season the yam with spices like onion and garlic powder.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should you soak yam before frying?
Soak for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
How long should yam fry for?
If preboiled, fry for 6-8 minutes. If frying from raw, fry for 12-15 minutes. Cut into a piece of yam to check for doneness.
How do you cut yams for frying?
You can cut it into any shape as long as they are cut into similar size but the most popular shape yams are cut into for fried yam is batons.
How do you make Nigerian fried yams?
Follow this recipe and you will get perfectly fried crispy yam with fluffy inside.
More Easy Recipes
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Fried Yam Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 small African Yam
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable oil For frying
Instructions
- Slice the yam, peel off the skin, then cut into batons, fries, or dice into cubes.Cut into a bowl of cold water to avoid discoloration of the yam if exposed to air.
- Wash then soak the cut yam in cold water for at least 30 minutes. If you don't have time to soak the yam, move to the next step immediately.
- Drain the yam, and season with salt.
- Place a deep pot on the stove on medium heat. Add vegetable oil into the pot, and heat.When oil is slightly heated, add in the yam, and carefully add some water in bit by bit. Fry yam slowly till the inside is tender and the outside crispy.
- Use a slotted spoon to pack the fried yams out of the oil and put them on a paper towel covered plate.
- Serve yam and enjoy.
Boil and Fry Method
- This method involve parboiling the yam before frying. With this method, you don't add water to the oil to fry, and frying is quicker than the other method. Here's how to:
- Slice the yam, peel, and cut into batons or any shape of your choice.
- Rinse the yam, drain, and add the yam pieces into a pot.
- Add water to the pot to cover the yam pieces by at least 1 inch, and add salt to it.Cover the pot, place the pot on medium heat and boil the yam till it's almost soft but firm.
- Drain the water and leave the yam in a colander for 5-10 minutes to cool.
- Put a pot or frying pan on medium heat. Add oil and heat.
- When heated, add in the yam and fry till it's crispy outer and fluffy inside.
Notes
- Be careful when peeling the yam and avoid the peel coming in contact with your skin as this can cause severe itching.
- Cut the yam into similar sizes so they fry evenly.
- Cut yam into a bowl of cold water to avoid discoloration of the yam.
- If you have the time, soak the yams in cold water for 30 minutes or more before frying.
- Don't overcrowd the pot. If need be, fry in batches.
- You can add season the yam with spices like onion and garlic powder.
Nutrition
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