Ekpang Nkukwo is a traditional Nigerian recipe for a classic one-pot dish of cocoyam roots, and water yam with periwinkles and smoked and dried fish, dried crayfish, cow skin and greens in a hot chilli and red palm oil base. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Nigerian version of: Ekpang Nkukwo.
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Snails are a classic component of this dish. The snail called for is the Giant African Land Snail, a group of edible species. For preparing these snails as food see my guide on how to prepare giant land snails.
Ingredients:
5 cocoyams (taro roots), small ones, finely grated and pounded to a paste
1/2 water yam, finely grated
300ml mfi (periwinkles), in their shell
300ml red palm oil
1 ibad (smoked and dried fish), flaked and de-boned
300ml dried crayfish, chopped
5 Maggi cubes
1 hot chilli, pounded to a paste
1 bunch odusa leaves (uziza Piper guinensea) (optional) [substitute any aromatic or spiced leaves, mustard greens work well]
1 bunch of cocoyam leaves, very finely shredded
200g ikpa (ponmo, cow skin), very finely chopped
1 giant African land snails, chopped (optional)
salt, to taste
Method:
Cut off the tails of the periwinkles, remove the intestines and wash thoroughly to remove any mud and grit.
>Add just enough palm oil to cover the base of your pot. Stir in the periwinkles and fry for 1 minute. Combine the cocoyam paste with the water yam, season to taste then form into balls and cover these in the shredded cocoyam leaves. Arrange the leaf-covered balls in the pot then add the chilli, crayfish, crumbled Maggi cubes, dried fish, aromatic leaves, ikpa and snail in layers over the top.
Pour over the remaining pal moil then bring to a boil. Cover the pan and cook gently for about 30 minutes, or until all the ingredients are thoroughly cooked (do not stir during cooking). Once ready, use a spatula to stir the mixture gently (do not stir too much, or you will end-up with a sticky mess).
