Nigerian · beginner
Nigerian Sweet Potato And Smoked Fish Peppered Porridge
A savory, gently mashed porridge featuring sweet yellow potatoes simmered with flaked smoked fish, tomato paste, and ground dried crayfish in a savory red palm broth.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 25 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Combine the sweet potato cubes, red palm oil, chopped yellow onion, and tomato paste in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- 02
Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly to coat the sweet potatoes in oil and lightly cook out the raw tomato paste.
- 03
Stir in the minced scotch bonnet pepper, ground dried crayfish, and flaked smoked snapper fillets.
- 04
Pour in the halal chicken stock and bring the liquid to a steady simmer over medium-high heat.
- 05
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover saucepan tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- 06
Uncover and use a wooden spoon to mash about one-third of the sweet potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the sauce naturally.
- 07
Simmer uncovered for an additional 2 minutes until thick and creamy, then spoon into bowls to serve.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Starch Co-Mashing Thickening
Coarsely mashing soft root vegetables directly in simmering broth builds a rich, self-emulsifying sauce structure.
Notes from the kitchen
- Mashing a fraction of the cooked sweet potatoes creates a rich porridge texture without adding extra starches.
- Ensure all bones are removed from the smoked fish before adding to the pot.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Nigerian; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.