Native food

Hi everyone, welcome to my article work again, thanks to everyone who wish my mom well for her birthday yesterday, I really appreciate.

Are you a Nigerian, or do u based in Nigeria, well am sure you must have heard of ekpang-nkukwuo proudly knowned by the efik people and akwa ibom, cross riverians too now in love with these delicacy too am sure with other part...well here is a recipe of how my mom cooks it.

Ekpang-Nkukwuo as the name implies is refers to a special cocoyam porridge, wrapped with tender cocoyam leaves, lettuce, or spinach. It is commonly prepared at traditional ceremonies like christening, meetings, weddings, and in many homes among the Ibibios and Efiks. The process of preparing this recipe is bit tedious, but it can be hasten if you have many hands assisting.

All the ingredients you need to Ekpan-Nkukwuo are:

• 6-10 medium sized cocoyam tubers

• 1 medium sized water yam tuber (share into two)

• 3 cups of shelled periwinkles

• ½ cup of ground crayfish

• ½ cup of dry shrimps (optional)

• A handful of fresh lettuce, tender potato leaves, fresh cocoyam leaves, spinach) or any of the above

• 3 scotch bonnets/ dry pepper

• 1 medium sized cow hides (ganda, kpomo) cut into tiny pieces

• Dried catfish, boneless chicken, smoked fish or beef

• 2 medium onions

• 2 cups of palm oil

• 4 cups of water or chicken stock

• 4 cubes of maggi or knorr (seasoning cubes)

• salt to taste

• Basil leaves (scent leaves) to garnish

Step on How to make Ekpang Nkukwo

• Peel cocoyam and water and grate into a smooth paste, add a little salt, stock cubes and palm oil to mix the paste. Dress all other ingredients and keep in place

• In a large cooking pot, add a little palm oil to grease inside of the pot, spread the washed periwinkles in the pot, this will serve as the base and also prevent the porridge from burning at the bottom. Add also dried fish and kpomo to the pot if you wish

• Bring the mixed cocoyam, use your hand to scoop a little on one side of the bare leaves you have segmented.

• Gently wrap it cylindrically till the edges of the cocoyam are sticking out on both ends of the leaves. Place the wrapped cocoyam in the pot carefully. You may want to get a bowl of water close by while doing this to deepen your fingertips.

• When you are done wrapping this, place the content on heat for a minute. Pour two cups of hot water to the pot containing the wrapped cocoyam and leave it to heat up for 5 minutes.

• When the content starts to boil, add the remaining seasoning: dried fish, boiled chicken, stock cubes, pepper, onion, crayfish, shrimps and any other seasoning. You may not need salt because of the chicken stock. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.

• When the folded cocoyam starts to become swollen, pour the remaining palm oil into it and stir it gently till all the ingredients are well mixed. At this point, the consistency will look very thick and dry, add the chicken stock or more water and stir properly to combine. You can taste for salt and stock cubes.

• After that, add the shredded scent leaves or curry leaves of you are using these and stir the content again to incorporate and leave to cook slowly for 3 minutes. Serve it warm