How to Make Amala (Brown Yam Dough Meal Swallow)

Amala is a popular meal that originates in the western part of Nigeria. It is a staple in the Yoruba-speaking regions of Nigeria and is known for its smooth, stretchy texture and distinctive dark brown or black color, which comes from the dried and processed yam. Amala is typically served with a variety of soups like ewedu, gbegiri, or efo riro, making it a hearty and satisfying meal. It’s made from yam or cassava flour locally known as “Elubo” by the Yoruba people of Nigeria. It is served as an accompaniment to Western Nigeria soups (Obe) or stews such as Ewedu, Gbegiri, Efo riro, Buka stew , Ila (okra soup) ,Ogbono Soup, Egusi Soup e.t.c . Locally, there are 3 types of Amala; two are made from yam flour while the last is made from plantain flour. The Amala made from yam flour (àmàlà isu) is brown in color while that made from cassava (àmàlà láfún) is white and the last one made from plantain flour (Amala ogede) is brown. It’s prepared by stirring the dry yam flour powder into hot boiling water to form a dough.

 

If Yam Is White, Why is Amala Brown? 

This is a question mostly asked by people and the simple answer is oxidation. If you’re familiar with apples, unripe plantain, avocado getting brown after you slice it, that is oxygen in the air reacting with the sliced food and breaking them down through a process known as oxidation. With the analogy just given, this same process is what occurs with yam especially when making Amala Flour known as

Elubo

. 

Whenever yam harvesting season begins, the yams you’re likely to get during such period would be fresh newly harvested yam. You see, yam is yam but all yams are not equal. Due to different factors such as the soil it was grown in, the specie and a host of others, some yams end up being more perishable than others. New yam might be fresh and soft but full of starch and water/moisture. This makes it kind of bland when compared to old yam of same variety which is usually sweeter and contains less moisture/water and more concentrated since most of the moisture must have reduced after long storage in the yam barn. Due to the high moisture and starch content of the susceptible variety, it’s not unusual for oxidation to occur once it’s sliced hence turning the yam brown. The atoms in the atmosphere also reacts with the yams differently. Please note that oxidation can occur naturally or induced by spreading the yam out in the open (This is what makes amala black)

Left: Amala prepared with dry yam flour (Elubo) . Right: Amala prepared with fresh yam puree