Nigerian · main

Yam Porridge (Asaro)

Name: Yam Porridge (Asaro)
Prep time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 2 lbs white yam, peeled and cubed; 1/4 cup palm oil; 1 medium onion, diced; 2 ripe tomatoes, chopped; 2 scotch bonnet peppers; 3 tbsp ground crayfish; 1/2 cup smoked fish, flaked; 2 cups spinach; 2 seasoning cubes; salt to taste

Yam Porridge (Asaro) reads umami 6.3, richness 5.9 and smoke 5.6 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Nigerian main, about 50 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.6 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.0 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 6.1 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.3 · Richness 5.9 · Smoke 5.6 · Salinity 4.1 · Marine & Briny 3.2 · Heat 3.1 · Sweetness 3.0 · Allium 2.8 · Earthy 2.2 · Sourness 1.8 · Fruity 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.5 · Bitterness 1.4 · Nutty 1.0 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (10)

2 lbs white yam, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup palm oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 scotch bonnet peppers
3 tbsp ground crayfish
1/2 cup smoked fish, flaked
2 cups spinach
2 seasoning cubes
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 50 min (35 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 99.4 kcal, 4.5 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 13.8 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Boil yam cubes in water with onion, tomatoes, scotch bonnet, palm oil, crayfish, and seasoning until the yam is tender.
Mash some of the yam pieces against the pot sides to thicken the stew while leaving other pieces chunky.
Stir in the smoked fish and leafy greens, simmer for a few more minutes, adjust seasoning, and serve hot.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Egusi Soup — Nigerian
Sauce Graine (Palm Nut Sauce with Beef and Crab) — Ivorian
Abenkwan (Palm Nut Soup) — Ghanaian
Pondu (Saka-Saka) — Congolese
Manhattan-Style Tomato Clam Chowder — American

Keep reading: what umami, richness, smoke mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.