AI-generated photo.
Nigerian · Iconic, West Africa · Nigeria
Pounded yam
Also called iyan
Pounded yam (iyan), a West Africa plate from Nigeria.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Pounded yam is cooked in West Africa as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Boil the yam until it can be pounded smooth, and simmer the beef with tomato and spinach beside it. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
97
Health score
Light & nourishing
Healthy
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 21%
- Carbs 59%
- Fat 19%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Suits · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium stay modest, with some fiber.
Suits · Weight loss
Calories stay contained and protein is high enough to feel like a meal.
Watch · High protein
Protein is about 22.1 g, under the 25 g mark.
Suits · Low sodium
About 381 mg of sodium, under the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Yam236 kcal
- Beef sirloin108 kcal
- Neutral oil40 kcal
- Yellow onion9 kcal
- Tomato8 kcal
- Spinach7 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 30.2. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 410 kcal.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Serve three-quarters of the plate
The ingredient mix stays the same. Calories are three-quarters of the counted serving.
About 308 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 410 kcal | 21% |
| Protein | 22.1 g | 44% |
| Carbohydrate | 61.2 g | 22% |
| Fiber | 10 g | 36% |
| Total sugars | 3.3 g | 7% |
| Fat | 8.9 g | 11% |
| Saturated fat | 2.1 g | 11% |
| Cholesterol | 49 mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 381 mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 2228 mg | 47% |
| Calcium | 97 mg | 7% |
| Iron | 3.4 mg | 19% |
| Magnesium | 92 mg | 22% |
| Zinc | 4.1 mg | 37% |
| Vitamin A | 189 mcg | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 51 mg | 57% |
| Vitamin D | 0.1 mcg | 1% |
| Vitamin E | 2.4 mg | 16% |
| Vitamin K | 163 mcg | 136% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.3 mg | 27% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.2 mg | 18% |
| Niacin (B3) | 7.6 mg | 48% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.2 mg | 71% |
| Folate | 126 mcg | 32% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1 mcg | 40% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Fiber is generous, which helps the meal carry you.
- Sodium stays in a comfortable range.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Scale
- Colander
- Timer
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Yam4 pieces800 g
Beef sirloin2 pieces320 g
Tomato2 tomatoes180 g
Yellow onion0.5 onion90 g
Spinach3 cups120 g
Cayenne1 tsp3 g
Neutral oil1 tbsp19.78 ml
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Pounded yam. Heat to a rolling boil at 212°F / 100°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh yam, beef sirloin, tomato, yellow onion, spinach, cayenne, neutral oil, kosher salt. Pounded yam is cooked in West Africa as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Boil the yam until it can be pounded smooth, and simmer the beef with tomato and spinach beside it. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Pounded yam is cooked in nigeria. Also called iyan. Potatoes are done when a knife enters with almost no resistance.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Pounded yam, until the edges take a little color. Boil only the starch. The sauce belongs in a second pan.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Pounded yam at a rolling boil at 212°F / 100°C. Start checking at 15 minutes. Pounded yam is done when the starch is tender to a knife and the sauce, if there is one, clings instead of pooling.
Boil 15 min
- 🇳🇬 NigeriaWest Africaicon-nigeria-pounded-yam-step-4
Pounded yam, step 5
Step 5 · Pounded yam
5Check the center of Pounded yam, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇳🇬 NigeriaWest Africaicon-nigeria-pounded-yam-step-5
Pounded yam, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Pounded yam for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in nigeria, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Pounded yam in this shot order and no other: parchment pressed into the pan; a spoon making a path through the sauce; scale and bowls in a flat lay; a rest under a loose cover. Slate words for the editor: emberfold, zestline, ridge, ladle, honeyed, glaze, birch, thistle, nutmeg, nappe.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Pounded yam is done when the starch is tender to a knife and the sauce, if there is one, clings instead of pooling.
If it goes wrong
- Pounded yam looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Pounded yam turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Pounded yam, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Pounded yam is one of the plates people ask for by name from West Africa.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Boil the yam until it can be pounded smooth, and simmer the beef with tomato and spinach beside it.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.