Spicy Yam Balls Recipe

Yam is an excellent root vegetable with slightly sticky and starchy flesh. When I first started cooking with yams I was most frustrated by many cookbooks simple explanation, cook like potatoes and the very few recipes available. While yam makes good chips and works well in dishes like dauphionoise yam instead of potatoes, I feel that it stands high as a vegetable on its own.

Over the last year in the U.K. the vegetables has begun to become popular in supermarkets and cooking magazines. These balls are a common snack in South Africa and you can adjust the flavors in them to your own taste.

30 balls

Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Yam Balls:

• 600g white Yam
• 1/2 an onion finely chopped
• 3 spring onions finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 tsp lemon thyme , finely chopped
• 1 tbsp, coriander, finely chopped
• 1 large green chili, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• 1/2 tsp ginger, ground
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1 egg, beaten
• pinch salt
• 120g plain flour

To Cook

• oil for deep frying

To Serve: While these ingredients are not traditionally served with the yam balls, they are flavours reminiscent of Africa. Sweet Chili Sauce is also good served with these.

• 200g yoghurt
• 2 tbsp mint shredded
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tbsp harissi paste, shop bought or follow recipe followed (optional)
• Deep fried plantain slithers

Method:
Yam Balls: Peel the yam and cut it into even pieces. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and place the yam in it. Leave the yam to cook for 20-25 minutes until it is tender. Drain the yam and mash it in a large bowl with a fork so that you have a fairly smooth mash.

Add the remaining ingredients except the flour and stir it together until the ingredients are well combined. Place the flour on a large plate. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it in floured hands into a small balls, then roll it in the flour so that it is coated. Repeat this with the remaining mixture.

To Cook: Heat oil in a deep fryer, wok or large saucepan to 180ÌC or until a cube of stale bread rises to the top in 30 seconds and is crisp and golden brown. Cook 5-8 (dependent of the size of the cooking container) and cook them for around 3 minutes until the y rise to the top and are golden brown and crisp. Drain the balls on kitchen paper, then place in a warm oven while you cook the remaining balls.

To Serve: Mix the yogurt with the mint and honey in a small bowl until well combined. Place a spoonful of this mixture in the center of each plate. Place a small teaspoonful of the harissi on the yogurt. Stack 1-3 crisp plantain slither on the sauce, then place 4-5 yam balls around each plate and serve. These balls can also be served on one large platter for guests to help themselves.

Plantain Slithers
Harissa

Ingredients

• 1 large green plantain
• oil for deep frying

Method
To Prepare: Slice along one side of the plantains skin and work the skin away from the flesh (like a banana but firmer). Place some water in a large bowl and set aside. Peel the plantain lengthwise with a peeler into long slithers, then place them in the water.

To Cook: Heat some oil in a deep fryer, wok or saucepan to 180ÌC (test as above). Remove the plantain slithers form the water and dry them on kitchen paper or a dry clean kitchen towel. Cook the plantain in the hot oil in 2-3 batches for around 1 minute until they are crisp and slightly golden. Drain them on kitchen paper and serve or store them for up to 1 day in well sealed container.

Ingredients

• 100g dried hot chilies
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp. Cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. Coriander powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Method
Place the chilies in a bowl, bring some water to the boil and pour over the chilies Leave them to soak for 30-45 minutes. Then remove the chilies from the water and discard their stems. Reserve the water they were soaked in.

Place all the ingredients if a food processor or blender and puree adding as much of the chili water needed until you have a smooth paste or grind them together in a mortar and pestle.

• Store in a well sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months, once upon use it in 1 week

The International Food Database
Where you can find different recipes around the world
http://ifooddb.blogspot.com/