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Wasawasa

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 5 ingredients
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Why it works: Yam and flour share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 63 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓

Wasawasa

5–6
Total1 hr

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Start heating a saucepan of water over medium heat so that it will begin to boil by the time the yam mixture is ready.

  2. Sieve the yam flour into a bowl to remove any undesired particles that might be present from the processing.

  3. Very gradually stir in water, stirring in a circular motion to form tiny grains resembling couscous . Avoid using too much water; but, if you do, you can correct with more flour. Be patient; it can take up to 10 minutes to complete. You can shake the bowl to hasten the process, so be patient and keep working until you achieve the desired texture .

  4. Transfer the mixture to the top of a steamer over the boiling water, and then cover it for 15 minutes, lifting the lid gently after the first 10 minutes.

  5. Take the steamer off the heat after 15 minutes, and rinse the contents in cold water to remove any remaining undesirable particles and any bitterness that the yam may occasionally have. Any clumps that may have developed are also broken up by the water. It might require two washes.

  6. After letting it drain for a few minutes, toss with 3 teaspoons of oil and your preferred amount of salt.

  7. Place the mixture in the steamer back over the boiling water. Cover with a fresh kitchen towel or piece of parchment paper to trap the steam, then cover with the lid. Cook for another 10–12 minutes.

  8. Serve with any desired garnishes, such as pasta.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

682Calories
13 gProtein
26 gFat
96 gCarbs

Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Yamnot in our table0
Waternot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Yam + flourtop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together63 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  2. Yam + peppertop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together111 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together124,287 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  4. Flour + peppertop 19% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together50,459 recipes

    Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

  5. Pepper + buttertop 21% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together85,593 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

Swap the yam

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, pepper, butter):

  1. Shallotfits about as well
  2. Chivefits about as well
  3. Capsicumfits about as well
  4. Yamthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, pepper, butter. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

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