Boiled Yam with Leafy Vegetable Sauce
Tender yam with a peppery leafy sauce and fish. Estimated preparation cost: ₦7,500–₦10,000 for four servings.
- Estimated cooking cost
- ₦7,500–₦10,000
- Servings
- 4
- Preparation & cooking
- 35–45 minutes
Thick slices of boiled yam sit beside a colourful leafy vegetable sauce in this photograph. Ugu or spinach works well for a suggested Nigerian-style version, with fish, peppers and a little palm oil.
Ingredients for four: about 1 kg peeled yam, 2 large bunches ugu or spinach, 400 g fish, 3 red bell peppers, 1–2 hot peppers, 1 onion, 3 tablespoons palm oil, 1 tablespoon ground crayfish, salt and seasoning.
Preparation — 35–45 minutes: peel and slice the yam, rinse and boil in lightly salted water for roughly 20–25 minutes, until a fork passes through easily. Drain and keep covered. Wash the leaves thoroughly and slice them.
Chop or coarsely blend the peppers and onion. Warm the oil, cook the pepper mixture for 10 minutes, then add crayfish, seasoning and fish with a little water. Cook the fish through before folding in the leaves; simmer briefly until tender and serve with the yam.
Estimated cost to prepare: ₦7,500–₦10,000 total, about ₦1,875–₦2,500 per serving. Yam size and the type of fish affect the cost most. Use seasonal greens and locally available fish to keep spending down.
Costs are illustrative October 2026 Nigerian home-cooking budgets, not verified market quotes. They cover the ingredients used and a small cooking-fuel allowance for four servings, not equipment or full packs of pantry staples. Prices vary by location, season and protein choice. These are suggested recipes inspired by the photographs; the original recipes were not supplied.