Steamed Yams

Steamed yams is one of those dishes that make people ask you how it’s made. The irony is that the recipe is so simple, it’s almost embarrassing to tell.

Ingredients:

Yams: There are more than one type and they have different flavors and textures. I recommend the orange yam; it’s skin is a reddish color, has orange flesh and its ends taper to points. I have experimented with other yams, like the japanese yam, which has dark purple skin and white flesh, but found them to be either too sweet or too starchy in texture. A good steaming yam will be firm and fairly uniform in diameter, as oddly shaped yams may not cook evenly while steaming.

Equipment:
Steamer , or large pot with steaming tray.

Directions:

1. Wash the yams well and cut off any ends that are soft.

2. Steam the yams for about 30 min, or until you can poke a fork all the way in very easily.

It may take longer to steam depending on how many yams you are steaming and how large your steamer is. You can’t really over cook the yams, so don’t worry about that. Just make sure you don’t run out of water in your steamer!

3. After steaming, let them cool off for a few minutes, so the yams will be easier to handle. Next peel the yams (the skin should come off pretty easy) and then eat.

That’s it. Nothing else. Just steamed, yams.

They are good mashed too.