These are few tips on how to bake yam of this variety will boost the health factor of this vegetable. Yam here means the elephant yam. Many African and Asian nations include elephant yam in their cooking. Read on to know how you can bake yam in the right way.

Baking Yam The Correct Way

Before proceeding to “treating” elephant yam, it is best to rub your hands with coconut oil to prevent the itching that sets off with certain varieties of elephant yam. Now to baking the yam.

• The skin of the elephant yam is coarse and hard, and so is the flesh of the tuber so you need to keep a board and a knife with a sizeable blade ready.

• Place the yam on the board and in slow sawing motions, slice the skin off the vegetable, in sections. But make sure not to cut in deep into the flesh while removing the skin.

• Once the peeling is done, soak the yam in water for a few minutes to get rid of the dirt and grime.

• The yam is ready for baking. If the size of your yam is big then cut into smaller chunks.

• If you want to make baked yam fries then cut the yam further thin bite-size pieces.

• Take the baking sheet and wrap the yam chunks in a tin foil and bake it in the oven.

• Bake till the flesh becomes soft enough to allow a knife to pass through. While baking yams it is important to keep in mind that the flesh doesn’t soften up easily, so allow it to take its time.

• Once done, take out the yam, cut it into bite-size pieces, sprinkle salt and chili powder to enjoy it as a veggie snack.

Eating Tips For Baked Yam

• The yam can be sautéed (after cutting it into pieces) in a little bit of cooking oil to enjoy a bit of crispy tenderness.

• The baked yam can also be allowed to simmer in tamarind sauce (A traditional South Indian sauce-consistency dish prepared with a variety of south Indian spices).

How to bake yam, need not sound as “heavy-weight” as the yam, as the tips mentioned above lightens the task by preserving its nutrition value as well.

Image Credit:  bingeonveg.blogspot.com