Yele Kakro (Yam Balls)

You can turn long hair into a bun, a blow out, a beehive, a bob cut, braids and cornrow. Yele (Y3l3 – the “e” is pronounced as you would “urn” without the n) as yam is known in the Ga language in Ghana has the versatility of long hair. You can boil it as a side dish with for example Kontomire stew, fry it, oven bake it, mash it or turn it into Yele Kakro otherwise known as Yam Balls.

The closest thing to yam balls in terms of texture is potatoes. Yam balls, like potatoes and curiously enough man, is not meant to dwell alone. This particular bunch sat proudly next to roasted guinea fowl, but frankly could have easily made excellent bed fellows with various stews, soups and as a delicacy on their own.

These are plain yam balls. No fillings nor have they been jazzed up with spices and vegetables. The variety of yam used though is the Rolls Royce of yams. Puna yam is mushy in a soft way that other varieties of yams simply aren’t. This recipe is Ghanaian in origin, but Nigeria and other West African countries are also big on yam balls.