Dish
Koki
How it's prepared
Cameroon Koki Corn
Koki corn is a classic Cameroonian dish known for its vibrant yellow color derived from red palm oil, as well as its delightful sweet taste originating from fresh corn. Corn holds a significant position as a staple food in the West African region, and steamed corn recipes are widely enjoyed. This traditional meal is often prepared during the rainy season when fresh corn is abundant. Like Cameroon, Nigeria also boasts dishes such as corn moimoi, ekoki, and okpo oka. However, what sets koki corn apart from these Nigerian counterparts is its simplicity and minimal use of ingredients.
Ingredients
- ⅓–¼ cup palm oil
- 4 cups fresh corn
- ½ onion
- 1 cup yellow corn meal
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stock cube
- 5 banana leaves
Method
- Warm the palm oil in a skillet for 2–3 minutes without bleaching it.
- Place the corn, onion, and hot pepper in a blender or food processor. Add ¼ cup water, then blend until you achieve a coarsely ground paste. Avoid blending it into a fine paste; small bits and pieces of corn should still be visible.
- Transfer the blended mixture to a bowl and add the cornmeal. Pour in the heated oil and mix thoroughly. Add salt and stock cube, then continue mixing.
- Incorporate the chopped leaves into the mixture and mix until well combined.
- Prepare a pot by lining the bottom with stripped corn cobs. This creates an elevated base that prevents water from seeping into the koki corn. Pour approximately ½ cup water into the pot and bring it to a gentle boil while you proceed with wrapping the koki corn.
- Wrap the corn mixture in banana leaves to make little bundles. Place them in the pot, then cover them with torn or unused banana leaves (or aluminum foil). This helps retain the steam during cooking.
- Place the lid on the pot and steam for about 30 minutes. Every 5–10 minutes, open the pot and add ½ cup water to prevent it from drying out.
- After cooking, allow it to rest for approximately 10 minutes. Unwrap the bundles and serve the koki corn warm.
- Enjoy your delicious koki corn!
From Wikipedia
Koki, also known as cowpea cake or black-eyed pea cake, is a Cameroonian dish originating from the Mbo people in the department of Moungo, of the Bazou and Bafang peoples in the Southwest Region, as well as the Makaa, Bassa and Banen peoples of the West Region. Koki is a golden-coloured cake made from either black-eyed peas or cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata) and palm oil, which gives the dish its flavour. The dish is traditionally eaten with plantains.
Description
Koki is made with various tubers (like cassava or potato), legumes (including cowpeas and black-eyed peas), and cereals (particularly corn) cooked en papillote, seasoned with palm oil then optionally stuffed with leafy vegetables such as taro and macabo. The paste is wrapped in a banana or cocoyam leaf and then steamed. Koki can also be made into fritters. Koki was traditionally eaten with the hands, but in modern contexts it is more commonly consumed with forks or spoons. It was also originally wrapped exclusively in banana leaves before being boiled, but nowadays paper and aluminium foil are sometimes used as alternatives.
Background
The term 'koki' is etymologically related to the form ekó̱kí, which itself is derived from ko̱ko̱, meaning to pound, grind or crush in the Duala language. Thus, 'koki' means ‘that which is crushed’ or simply ‘culinary paste’. The term can more generally signify 'cake'. The Bazou gastronomic term kekua comes from the gastronomic term koki. A very similar dish is found in Nigeria among the Efik and Yoruba peoples, with the only difference being that it is made from fresh corn.
It is generally claimed that koki originated from a group of peoples in the Littoral, South-West and West regions in Cameroon. This is acknowledged and recorded as such by the Ministry of Arts and Culture, as part of the 111 elements of Cameroon's national intangible cultural heritage, decreed on 21 February 2021. However, the definition used in this document refers only to the variety made with black-eyed peas. This variety of koki is by far the best known and most widespread.
This record is provisional: it was compiled from the cited sources but has not yet been checked by an InsideKamer editor.
Sources
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