Table of Contents
What Is Ekpang Nkwukwo?
Ekwang, also known as ekpang nkwukwo, is a traditional Nigerian cuisine from the Efiks and Ibibios tribes. It’s also popular in Cameroon, where it’s especially popular among the Bakweri tribe.
It’s carefully made with freshly grated cocoyam, wrapped in lush greens, and slowly simmered with various types of fresh or smoked meat, fish, crayfish, red oil, and other spices until cooked to perfection, depending on the cook’s desire.
How To Cook Ekpang Nkwukwo
It’s created with freshly grated cocoyam, wrapped in lush greens, and slowly simmered with various types of fresh or smoked meat, fish, crayfish, red oil, and other spices until cooked to perfection, depending on the cook’s desire.
There are many different types of cocoyam, but the red cocoyam is the best for this recipe. However, you can get fantastic results with white ones if you dry them off first. It’s best to buy it a few days ahead of time and allow it dry out before cleaning and using it.
Although cocoyam leaves or sweet bitter leaves are commonly used, you can use any fresh leafy greens you have on hand, such as collard greens, spinach, or even romaine lettuce, or a combination of them. What I use is determined by what I have on hand. Choose the ones that don’t have any holes or tears in them.
If you have a grater and are willing to use it, go ahead and do so. However, because most of us don’t have the time to grate the cocoyam, you can use a food processor to speed up the procedure. To keep the ekpang from turning mushy, keep stirring to a minimum.
Amongst other ingredients, fresh or smoked fish, pork, palm oil, crayfish, and seasoning are used.
Ekpang Nkwukwo
Ingredients
- 500 g cocoyam
- 250 g Water Yam Optional
- Vegetables A big bunch of tender cocoyam leaves, Pumpkin leaves and Scent leaves (nchanwu, efirin)
- Palm oil a generous quantity
- A handful crayfish
- 3 medium onions
- 2 milk cups (300g shelled or 500g unshelled) Periwinkles
- Assorted Beef & Offal
- Dried Fish
- Snail (Optional)
- Pepper & Salt to taste
- 2 stock cubes
Instructions
Before Preparation
- Rinse and cook the beef, offals and dry fish with the seasoning till done.
- Peel, wash and grate the cocoyam and water yam (if you will be using this).
- Mix the two together and set aside.
- Prepare the pot by rubbing a generous amount of red palm oil on the insides of the pot.
- Rinse the tender cocoyam leaves and tear into medium pieces.
- If using pumpkin leaves, wash these and set aside.
- Blend the pepper and crayfish and set aside.
- Wash the shelled or unshelled periwinkles.
- Rinse and slice the scent leaves into tiny pieces.
Preparation Proper
- If you will be using unshelled periwinkles, place these at the base of the well-oiled pot.
- Scoop a small quantity of the grated cocoyam into a piece of the torn cocoyam leaf or one pumpkin leaf.
- Wrap the cocoyam with the leaf and place in the pot.
- Repeat this procedure till all the grated cocoyam (and water yam) is exhausted.
- Add the pepper, crayfish, onions, shelled periwinkles and assorted beef.
- Add hot water to the level of the pot contents and set to cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
- Now, add the scent leaves, a generous amount of palm oil and salt to taste.
- Cook for more 5 minutes and the Ekpang Nkwukwo is done.
- Leave to stand for 5 minutes and stir.
