A DIY Guide to Cooking Yams- By: Musarrat Sheikh

Description : The term yams and sweet potatoes do not refer to the same tuber although people in the US may use the term interchangeably to refer to the other one. The two tuber vegetables belong to different species. The yam is a very versatile tuber vegetable as it not only has lots of vitamins, but it can be prepared using several methods. Yams are delicious in taste and flavor, prepared very easily and therefore are a preferred choice for many people all over the world. For those who want to feed their loved ones some healthy food, try out the yam recipe below and you will greatly impress them. The following cooking methods specifically for yams will result in some delicious yams at the comfort of your home.

Mashed yams are one of the simplest yam recipes available. This method ensures you cook yams without much complications. In order for you to come up with some god mashed yams, you will need to observe the following steps. Begin by washing, peeling and dicing some medium sized yams and then proceed to boil them till tender. Drain off the water that may have remained. Take a ? teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/3 cup of water and some low fat milk to mix up with the yams and then mash them up real well. Ensure that the milk is the last ingredient to be added into the mixture so that curdling due to contact with the hot yams is avoided. To be able to mash the yams properly, you can use a large spoon, mixer or potato masher as maybe convenient to you.

Baking of yams is one method that will have you experiencing some different and exciting yam flavors. How to bake yamsis the next thing to tackle. To beginwith, have the yams thoroughly washed and then pricked using a sharp knife or throat. The pricks acts as vents for venting off steam that is at very high temperatures which result in the yam exploding if there were no vents for passage. Set the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit and allow the yams to bake for a period of 40 to 45 minutes. Once this time is over, take the yams out and slice open. If you want your yams to have distinct flavors, paste them with some healthy spread or butter and then shake over some cinnamon on top.

French fries can be conveniently made from yams. Choose some medium sized yams and then have them washed and peeled before cutting them up into strips. A French fry cutter is ideal for this task. Take up some olive oil, nutmeg and cinnamon plus the yams and have them put in a plastic bag and shaken thoroughly. Have the yams spread out on some baking sheet and allow them to bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. After the half hour baking period is over, the yams should be brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Serve while hot.

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Author Resource : This article touched the basics of the topic. I have 2 more resources related to the above. They are how to cook yams and how to bake yams. Do consider reading them.