How to Prepare Sweet Potato Porridge (Faten Dankali)

by Angela Bala | Feb 6, 2022 | Food & Kitchen, Local Delicacies

Sweet potatoes are root vegetables that are highly nutritious and a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is a great substitute for African yams in many local recipes. These recipes include porridge, which happens to be our main focus today. The sweet potato porridge recipe, or pottage, as some people like to refer to it, or Faten Dankali in Hausa, is a typical Nigerian dish that features mostly vegetables like sweet potatoes and some of our local condiments, which makes it more of a medicine than just a means to quench hunger. This potato porridge recipe is pretty standard, easy, and very healthy.

Furthermore, it is a homemade recipe that can be done easily with few ingredients. These ingredients can be found anywhere, regardless of location, and are ready to be consumed in no time. All potatoes are actually welcome in this recipe.

If you wish to be a partaker of all this goodness, then keep scrolling!

Equipment for Making Sweet Potato Porridge

Ingredients for Making Sweet Potato Porridge

Healthy potato porridge is made of all the ingredients below:

Sweet Potatoes
Palm Oil
Onions (chopped or diced)
Fresh Pepper (atarugu)
Chili (shombo)
Bell Pepper (tattasai)
Crayfish (ground)
Seasoning Cubes
Salt
Garlic
Fresh Ugu Leaves or Spinach (Alayyahu)
Scent Leaves (efirin) or Basil Leaves 
Water or Stock (meat or fish)

NOTE: All ingredients listed above are the necessary ingredients in this recipe. You can also add, substitute, or subtract any ingredient to suit your taste perfectly, as there is no rule that says you cannot add to the already-listed ingredients.

Let’s get creative, guys!

Procedures for Preparing Sweet Potato Porridge

STEP 1: Peel and chop the potatoes into desired sizes. Put it in a bowl of water immediately to avoid discoloration.

STEP 2: Wash vegetables with vinegar or salt, cut them carefully, and put them into a clean bowl.

STEP 3: Blend all the different peppers and set them aside. Then;

STEP 4: Place a pot on fire and add enough oil that can go around for the number of potatoes chopped. Add onions to the oil once it gets hot, but do not let the oil bleach.

STEP 5: Immediately after the oil starts to sizzle, add blended pepper and fry for some time before adding seasoning cubes, salt, crayfish, and any other ingredient of choice. Stir well.

STEP 6: Add a reasonable amount of water or meat stock to the mixture and boil for a few minutes.

STEP 7: Stir in the potatoes and make sure the water is up to the potato level; if not, add in more water, cover the pot, and allow it to boil. Stir occasionally to help the porridge thicken, and add more water if it’s still too dry.

STEP 8: Once the porridge has taken on a thick form, add the vegetables and leaves and leave to simmer on medium heat for a minute in order to retain the nutrients in the vegetables.

STEP 9: Remove from heat, and your sweet potato porridge is ready!

How to Serve Sweet Potato Porridge

The sweet potato porridge recipe can eminently be consumed with beverages and complements of any kind as you see fit, or it could just be taken plain without anything; either way, it will still taste great. Needless to say, sweet potato porridge is best served hot.

Occasions Best to Serve Sweet Potato Porridge

Although sweet potato porridge is said to be a really healthy way to start the day, as it is full of fiber, healthy carbs, and vitamin A, we cannot call it a breakfast meal; it can be served at any time of the day or on any occasion whatsoever, as we need nutrients every hour of the day.

How Sweet Potato Porridge Is Stored

In order to retain the quality of sweet potato porridge, it is advised to store it in a refrigerator where it stays fresh and does not go bad.

Nutritional Benefits of Sweet Potato Porridge

Studies show that just one sweet potato provides 400% of the vitamin A needed each day, which helps keep the eyes healthy, prevents macular degeneration, and helps boost the immune system. As they are rich in antioxidants and enhance brain functioning, they are shown to be a better source of beta-carotene than most vegetables. With the number of nutrients sweet potatoes give when consumed, they may help with diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and many more. Let’s not forget the other vegetables and ingredients in the porridge, which is also highly rich in vitamins and protein.

In essence, sweet potato porridge is very nutritious, medicinal, and healthy, as we effectively get a good amount of all our daily vitamins in just one meal.

Conclusion

This homemade sweet potato porridge recipe is tasty, nutritious, very healthy, and a great substitute for yam porridge to lessen the intake of carbs into the body system. Now that you have reached this point with me, my faithful comrades, here’s a huge tip: be a full partaker of all this goodness! Try it at home and share it with your family and friends. Don’t be stingy, guys! And like I said earlier, be creative to the best of your ability.

If this recipe was in any way helpful to you, please leave a comment in the comments box and let me know the final outcome of your first tryout of this recipe.

You could also check out 8 Amazing Dishes You Can Make with Yam.