The Nigerian cuisine Ikokore, also known as Ifokore, is cooked with Water Yam (Isu Ewura) rather than the usual Puna/White Yam.The recipe for the pottage is a native of the Ijebu people in Ogun state.
Ikokore is very simple to make. Making an excellent ikokore meal involves using a lot of protein. The ingredients list includes every protein derived from an animal, including goat meat, kpomo, crayfish, periwinkles, crabs, and smoked catfish.
The original Ikokore recipe just requires Scotch Bonnet (Ata rodo) and, occasionally, dry powdered pepper (Ata gungun), however, since If you don’t enjoy hot and spicy food, settle for Shombo (Long red pepper).
COOKING INGRIDIENTS
Water yam
Palm Oil
Beef Stock/ Water
Shombo/Tatashe
Dry ground pepper
Scotch Bonnet (Ata Rodo)
Smoked Fish (Eja Kika)
Dried Fish (Panla)
Cooked Meats (Shaki, beef and Ponmo)
Crayfish
Smoked Prawns
Iru (Locust Beans)
Seasoning cubes
Salt to taste
COOKING DIRECTIONS
Slice your water yam into small pieces. Peel each piece then grate using the smallest part of your grater.
After grating, add Seasoning or Salt, 1 tablespoon Crayfish and mix together, if you can tolerate hotness, you can add some Pepper as well then set aside.
Blend the Shombo/Tatashe and Scotch Bonnet till smooth and set aside.
Get a medium size pot and place on medium heat.
When it’s hot, add the palm oil, then the Locust Beans. Fry the Locust Beans for a minute, then add the blended Pepper and ground pepper, then the seasoning cubes and Salt to taste.
Leave to fry till oil floats to the top. Stir every now and then to prevent burning
Now, add the Beef Stock if you’re using any, if you haven’t got Stock, just add water, continue to cook for 2 minutes
Add the Shredded Cooked Meats, Fish and Smoked Prawns, any other proteins you’re using, leave to cook for 10 minutes
After 10 minutes, remove all the meat and fish from the stew, leaving just the stew in the pot.
Turn the heat down to low, now scoop the grated yam into the stew, do this in both big and small lumps.
The small lumps will dissolve in the stew, forming a mushy type consistency while the bigger lumps will create the lumpy Ikokore consistency.
Do not stir, leave the contents to boil for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
Then using a wooden spoon, stir and break up clumps if you find it too clumpy or leave as it is.
Now, taste for salt and seasoning, adjust if necessary
Transfer the cooked meats and fish back into the pot, add the rest of the crayfish and combine gently, be careful when doing this so you don’t break the lumps
Leave to simmer for 3 – 5 minutes and it’s ready.
Serve Ikokore on its own or with Cold Eba (Eba Tutu), the typical Ijebu way
