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.
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.
How long To Fry YamThis 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.