Cameroon – Pounding Pillee Potatoes

by Djougwa Kouemo Patricia

Pounding pillee potatoes is a meal that is being prepared for new babies who do not yet have the possibility of eating on their own without the help of their parents or mother. The mother cooks the pounding pillee potatoes so as to feed the children. The food is cooked in a very delicate manner, which is in a very soft manner so as to enable the child to easily swallow the food. This is why the food is being pounded so as to make it soft and smooth. Pounding pillee potatoes is good and important for the child, the new bon baby of one and the half year above. Pounding pillee potatoes is one of the first meals the child begins to eat. It is the first food that brings the child to the universe of food. The mother begins to feed the child until the child begins to eat on his own. Pounding pillee potatoes comes from Cameroon.

Cooking method

Pounding pillee potatoes is cooked by boiling and turning

Cooking items

1. One quarter bucket of Irish potatoes
2. Red oil
3. Pounding stick
4. A little bit of salt.

Cooking procedure

1. The first thing to do is to remove the peelings of the irish potatoes. There is a special equipment that is used in remove the peelings of the irish potatoes.
2. After removing the peelings of the irish potatoes, wash the peeled off irish potatoes. When washing the peelings of the Irish potatoes, make sure to use clean water so as to wash it well. When done in washing the irish potatoes, rinse it once more with clean water.
3. Put the irish potatoes in a clean bowl, then fill it water.
4. Allow the irish potatoes to be soaked inside water like for 10 minutes.
5. Remove it from the soaked water. Wash the irish potatoes for the last time.
6. Make sure to have the pounding stick with you.
7. Also wash the pounding stick. Everything that is being used in cooking for the baby should be clean. No dirt should be on it.
8. Put the Irish potatoes on fire in a clean small pot.
9. Pour like a cup of water into the irish potatoes on fire.
10. Allow it on fire for ten minutes.
11. After ten minutes on fire, pour half a cup into the pot.
12. Close the pot again.
13. This time around, close the pot for five minutes and not ten minutes.
14. After five minutes, pour small red oil in the irish potatoes and a very little amount of salt in the pot.
15. Using the pounding stick begin to pound the irish potatoes on fire. Pound till the potatoes become soft and smooth. Generally, it takes from five minutes to ten minutes to pound the irish potatoes.
16. When you notice the potatoes has become soft, it is an indication that pounding pillee potatoes is ready. You can proceed by removing it from fire.
17. Let it become lukewarm before you can decide to feed you baby with it.

NB: Though the pounding pillee potatoes is generally good for babies, adults can also eat this soft meal.