Ekwang — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Finely grated cocoyam wrapped into small parcels with spinach leaves, then slow-cooked in a rich palm oil, crayfish, and smoked fish sauce until tender.

Ingredients

2kg cocoyam, peeled and finely grated
300g spinach or cocoyam leaves
200g smoked fish, deboned
200g beef or dried shrimp
1/2 cup palm oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3 tbsp ground crayfish
2 scotch bonnet peppers
2 bouillon cubes
Salt to taste
2 cups water

Instructions

1 Finely grate peeled cocoyam into a smooth paste.
2 Season the grated cocoyam with salt and a little crayfish.
3 Place a spoonful of grated cocoyam onto a cocoyam or spinach leaf and wrap tightly into a small parcel.
4 Repeat until all cocoyam paste is used.
5 In a pot, heat palm oil and sauté onions. Add smoked fish, beef or shrimp, remaining crayfish, peppers, and bouillon.
6 Layer the cocoyam parcels in the pot, add water, cover tightly, and cook on low heat for 1 hour until tender. Serve hot.

Did You Know?

Making ekwang is a communal activity in Cameroon's Southwest region, where family members gather to wrap the cocoyam parcels together.