Pounded sweet potatoes? That might sound weird to you, if you are not from Ilorin, the capital of Kwara State. We are all familiar with pounded yam but Ilorin people have taken theirs to an upper notch by pounding sweet potatoes that goes alongside with a steaming bowl of okra soup. You might be wondering how it will turn out, since unlike yam, sweet potatoes are quite soft and would become a mess when pounded; Ilorin people add a little yam and cooked cassava to the potatoes to thicken it.
Further details of why iyan anomo, as it is called in Ilorin, is loved by Ilorin people was supplied by an Ilorin-born, Lagos-based business woman, Mrs Oluwatoyin Sulieman, who affirmed that iyan-anomo is a type of swallow that is made with yam, potatoes and cassava pounded together, said that the combination of the three is usually very fantastic. “It has a unique taste. Iyan-anomo can be preserved till the next two or three days because of the cassava pounded with the yam and the potatoes, iyan-anomo has a very unique texture that is different from the normal pounded yam and it goes very well with obe-ila-alasepo (okra soup).
According to Mrs Sulieman, iyan-anomo is also nutritious because of the trio combination of yam, cassava and sweet potatoes. “Aside the stress of cutting, boiling and pounding iyan-anomo, the soup that goes with it; okra soup, does not take long to prepare. As a matter of fact, okra soup is the quickest soup to prepare”, she emphasized. She further explained that iyan-anomo is usually eaten during special occasions like birthdays, Eid-el-fitri or weddings but, according to her, “if you love eating it, you can eat it any day you want”.
For those who are curious to try out this local delicacy, Mrs Sulieman gave Exquisite Food the recipes and directions. Now, go get your pots, mortar and pestle ready and let’s make Iyan anamo with obe-alasepo!
Making of iyan-anomo:
- Wash the outer part of the potatoes, yam and cassava very well, before peeling.
- Put them all in a bowl and rinse with water again. Pour them in a pot and let it cook for about twenty-five minutes. You may cook for longer minutes, depending on how hard the yam, cassava and potatoes are, until they become soft.
- Pound step by step; do not pound the trio altogether but separately. Afterwards, then pour all the separately pounded starch together and pound until it becomes smooth.
Making of Okro soup
Recipes: Okra, Locust beans, Beef, stock and smoked fish, prawn, seasoning cubes, palm oil, egusi (optional), ugu or bitter leaves (also optional).
Directions:
– Put washed meat, smoked and stock fish in a pot and season with onion, seasoning cubes and salt and cook for five minutes.
– Add blended okra, grounded crayfish, palm oil, fresh pepper and a little water and cover to steam for five minutes.
– Add sliced and washed ugu vegetable or bitter leaves, sprinkle taste for more salt and seasoning cube if necessary.
and then