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Koki
Steamed black-eyed bean pudding with red palm oil, from Cameroon's Littoral and South-West
Koki is a dense, orange-red bean cake from the Douala and Bakweri country of Cameroon, made from skinned black-eyed beans blended with red palm oil, chilli and greens, then wrapped in banana leaves and steamed for hours. It is weekend food and market food, eaten with boiled plantain, cassava or ripe banana. It is related to Nigerian moi moi but heavier, richer with palm oil and full of cocoyam leaves or spinach. Chef's tip: warm the palm oil just until liquid before beating it in; poured in cold and solid it leaves streaks of fat instead of an even orange colour.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Skin the beans: rub 1 ⅛ lb dried black-eyed beans between your palms in a big bowl of water, let the skins float up and pour them off. Repeat for 10–15 minutes until nearly all are white.
15 minStep 2: Blend the beans with 1 ¼ cups cold water and 1 scotch bonnet in batches to a very smooth, thick paste; it should feel like soft whipped cream between your fingers.
10 minStep 3: Tip into a large bowl and beat with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes to lighten it. Beat in ¾ cup red palm oil in a thin stream until evenly orange, then add 2 tsp salt and 7 oz spinach or young cocoyam leaves.
6 minStep 4: Soften 6 large sheets banana leaves by passing them over a gas flame or dipping in hot water. Lay two sheets crossways, spoon in a sixth of the batter, fold into a tight parcel and tie with string or a strip of leaf. Repeat.
15 minStep 5: Line a large pot with leftover leaf scraps, stand the parcels upright on top and pour in 1.5 litres water for steaming to come a third of the way up. Cover tightly and simmer for 1½–2 hours, topping up with boiling water. Common mistake: letting the pot boil dry — the bottom parcels scorch and taste smoky.
120 minStep 6: The koki is done when a skewer comes out clean and the cake feels firm. Rest for 10 minutes before unwrapping and serve warm, in slices.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 20 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 25 g
- Fibre
- 11 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does koki take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
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