Ekwang

How to Make Delicious Ekwang
When you love someone and you want to express your love, make them some Ekwang. That is if the person knows what Ekwang is. Making Ekwang is a process which involves grating, wrapping then wrapping some more. This could take some hours of your life. But there’s a reward. The reward is the scrumptiousness.

So what is Ekwang? It is grated cocoyams tied in cocoyam leaves and cooked with palm oil and other aromatic ingredients. It is rich in ethnic flavours: crayfish, palm oil. So finger-licking good!

The ingredients used in making Ekwang include cocoyams, cocoyam leaves, palm oil, crayfish, smoked fish and spices depending on preferences. You can also add in some freshly blended garlic and ginger paste and some chopped onions for more flavor and taste. The cocoyams used in making Ekwang are a particular specie. They are longer and slimmer than other types of cocoyams. They are either white or pink on the inside. In Cameroon, they are locally called, “macabo coco”. For a successful Ekwang dish, please get the right cocoyams then you peel. If you cannot find cocoyam leaves for wrapping, you can use any green leaves like potato leaves, greens, spinach, just make sure they have no holes so they keep your grated cocoyams secure.

Ingredients

8 large “macabo” cocoyams white and pink mixed

6 bunches cocoyam leaves (or spinach/collard greens)

2 pounds smoked fish/stock fish/beef do a mix or choose 1

1 1/2 cups palm oil

2 cups crayfish

1 habanero pepper – blended optional

1 medium sized onion-chopped

1 teaspoon ground “contry onions” (rondelles) optional

2 tablespoons blended garlic and ginger

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

3 seasoning cubes (Maggi) or 1 1/2 large crayfish seasoning cubes (Maggi crevette)

1 teaspoon salt

 

Method

• Peel cocoyams and grate to a paste using a grater with small holes. You could alternatively use a food processor to bring the cocoyams to a paste. Season the paste with a quarter teaspoon of salt and mix together well.
• Coat a large pot with palm oil the way you will coat a pan with oil/margarine to bake a cake. Take a teaspoon of cocoyam and place at one end of a leaf and start wrapping until you get to the end.  Please see the video.
• Repeat wrapping process until the paste is finished. Make sure you place your little wraps in criss-cross patterns so the stock goes round well.
• Add every other ingredient mentioned above to the wrapped cocoyams. Add 2-4 cups of water and bring to a boil. If you have stock from boiled meat or something, use it instead of water.
• Let it cook together for 30 minutes. Half-way through the cooking, check to see if you need to add more water. If the liquid is at the same level as the wraps then it is good. Avoid stirring so you don’t unwrap the little wraps. This is what I do: I hold the pot on both handles and shake so every ingredient mixes nicely and evenly. If you must stir, use a wooden spoon and run it around the edges of the pot.
• Taste, adjust seasonings if need be and voila! Ekwang is ready! Serve warm.

Enjoy your Ekwang!
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