What's in a Ñame?
When I was a kid, some of my grandmother's friends used to make a potato salad like dish. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called, but I do remember that the main ingredient was something called Ñame (pronounced something like nom-ay).
With a large Hispanic population in Central Florida where I live, Ñame Root is readily available, but I had never bought any until this morning. You know, it's a big old ugly potato looking things and potatoes are cheaper so I never bothered.
But this morning, the stars aligned just right and the Ñame Root was on sale at the very time I was feeling just a bit adventurous. So, I plopped one of those huge tubers in the basket and came home to try to recreate the Latin flavored potato salad of my youth.
Of course, to say potato salad is a bit misleading. It isn't a starchy tuber smothered in mayo and served cold. It's a much lighter and a bit spicer than what you might be thinking of. I played with the flavors of the dressing a bit and I think I came close to reproducing what I had eaten as a child. If any of you knows the proper name for this dish, let me know. In the meantime, you can make this asa side or the main meal in under 15 minutes.
Ñame, by the way is a Spanish word that translates as "yam" but this isn't the kind of yam that you'd find on your Thanksgiving table these days. It is a huge, rough skinned, dark brown tuber. When you cut it open, you'll find a soft and very wet flesh that has an almost sticky texture. The stickiness, I read, is a thick starch. It cooks away when you boil it, though.
Ñame, like it's cousin Cassava (Yucca) is thought by many to be a good alternative to potatoes for those suffering from arthritis. It is also said to help women with menstrual cramps. I don't know about those things...I just know it tastes good.
Ñame Root Salad
2 pounds Ñame Root peeled and cut into 1 in chunks1/3 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin (or cumin seeds crushed with a mortar and pistle)
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
4 whole scallions (white and light green parts), finely chopped
Put the Ñame root in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring it to a boil and cook until it's just tender (about 7 to 10 minutes).
Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, the lime juice, the chili powder, the cumin, the cilantro, the salt and the pepper in a small bowl. Add the scallions to the Ñame and toss with the dressing. Season again with salt and pepper.
Serve warm or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.
(I seem to remember that some people also threw in some chopped red bell pepper, but I don't think that adds much to this particular recipe.)
Vegan.
