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Ekpang Nkukwo

Ekpang Nkukwo is one of the most extraordinary and technically demanding dishes in all of Nigerian cuisine — a spectacular Efik preparation that is simultaneously a soup and a dumpling dish. Grated cocoyam (water cocoyam) is wrapped around pieces of seafood and periwinkles using fresh cocoyam leaves, then carefully lowered into a rich, flavoured palm oil and crayfish broth where they cook into soft, earthy, flavour-absorbing dumplings.

Ekpang Nkukwo, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 6 to 8 medium water cocoyams (white water cocoyam / Colocasia esculenta), peeled and grated
  • Fresh cocoyam leaves or spinach leaves — for wrapping the dumplings
  • 1 big handful of fresh or frozen periwinkles (isam), cleaned
  • 1 big handful of fresh prawns
  • 1 big handful of smoked catfish, soaked and deboned
  • 1 big handful of stockfish, soaked and shredded
  • 2 big handfuls of assorted beef or goat meat, cooked
  • 3 cooking spoons of red palm oil
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 3 to 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • A small handful of uziza leaves or scent leaves for garnish

Method

  1. 01

    Grating the Cocoyam. Peel the water cocoyams wearing gloves as the sap can irritate skin. Rinse each one. Grate using the fine side of a box grater. The grated cocoyam will be very sticky and viscous — this is essential and correct. Season the grated cocoyam lightly with salt and a little ground crayfish. Mix well. Set aside.

  2. 02

    Preparing the Broth Base. Heat 3 cooking spoons of palm oil in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add sliced onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add blended Atarodo and fry for 8 minutes. Add the cooked assorted meat, stockfish, smoked catfish and periwinkles. Add ground crayfish, seasoning cubes and salt. Pour in 4 glasses of water to create a well-seasoned broth. Bring to a steady simmer.

  3. 03

    Forming the Dumplings. Take a fresh cocoyam leaf (or spinach leaf). Place a tablespoon of the grated cocoyam mixture on the leaf. Place a small piece of prawn or periwinkle in the centre of the cocoyam. Wrap the leaf around the cocoyam, enclosing the filling completely, to form a small parcel. The stickiness of the grated cocoyam holds everything together. Repeat with all remaining cocoyam mixture.

  4. 04

    Cooking the Dumplings. Carefully lower each wrapped dumpling parcel into the simmering broth, placing them in a single layer around the pot. Do not stir once the dumplings are in — they are delicate. Cover the pot tightly. Cook on medium-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes without stirring or uncovering. The dumplings cook by steaming in the covered pot while absorbing the broth.

  5. 05

    Finishing. After 35 minutes, carefully open the pot. The dumplings should be firm, set and lightly coloured. Gently stir the broth around the dumplings without breaking them. Add the uziza or scent leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning of the broth. Cook for 5 more minutes. Serve hot, spooning the broth generously over the dumplings.

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