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Boiled yam with egg sauce
Ji na egg sauce: soft boiled yam with eggs scrambled into fresh tomato, onion and pepper
Saturday breakfast in many Nigerian homes means thick slices of boiled white yam and a pan of egg sauce, eggs gently scrambled into a quick fried sauce of tomato, onion and fresh chilli. The yam is fluffy and starchy, the sauce juicy, peppery and soft, and the two are made in the same half hour. It is just as popular for supper. Overcooking the eggs is the usual mistake: take the pan off the heat while they still look slightly wet and they finish in their own warmth. Chef's tip: wear gloves or oil your hands while peeling yam, since the raw skin and flesh can make your hands itch.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the yam
- 1 ¾ lb white yam (puna yam)peeled, cut into 2 cm thick rounds
- 1 tsp salt
For the egg sauce
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 3 tomatoeschopped
- 1 scotch bonnet chillifinely chopped
- 4 eggsbeaten with a pinch of salt
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 spring onions (optional)sliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ¾ lb white yam (puna yam), put in a pot, cover with cold water and add 1 tsp salt. Boil for 15–20 minutes, until a knife slides through the centre with no resistance.
18 minStep 2: Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Fry 1 onion for 3 minutes until soft.
3 minStep 3: Add 3 tomatoes, 1 scotch bonnet chilli and ½ tsp salt and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes collapse and the oil starts to shine around the edges.
7 minStep 4: Lower the heat and pour in 4 eggs. Leave for 30 seconds, then stir gently in big folds for 1–2 minutes, until softly set but still glossy. Take off the heat at once.
2 minStep 5: Drain the yam and serve with the egg sauce spooned over, scattered with 2 spring onions.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbs
- 68 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does boiled yam with egg sauce take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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