This Cameroonian classic is made by grinding black-eyed peas and steaming them with scotch bonnet, red palm oil and spinach leaves.
Course Snack, street food
Cuisine Cameroonian, Central African
Keyword beans, steaming
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour30 minutesminutes
Soaking 12 hourshours
Servings 3packets
Equipment
1 blender
aluminum foil
banana leaves or parchment paper
Ingredients
250mLblack-eyed peas
300mLwater
½-1scotch bonnet
40mLred palm oil
200mLspinach, loosely packed
2tspvegetable stock powderor ½ cube
salt to taste
For packets
3pcsaluminum foil
3large pcs of banana leavesor parchment paper
Serving suggestions
2green plantains
Instructions
Peeling beans
If using unpeeled beans, they will need peeling.
Soak beans for 10 minutes
Transfer beans and plenty of water to a blender. Pulse for a few seconds, just to break the beans apart.
Transfer to a large bowl and add more water. The peals should float to the top.Skim of the bean peels. You might need to repeat this a few times.
Soaking beans
Soak the peeled beans in plenty of water overnight
Make the batter
Drain the soaked beans and add them, along with scotch bonnet and water to a blender. Don't add all water now, save some to adjust the texture after blending. The final texture should be just a little coarse. The batter should be watery.
Transfer blended beans to a bowl. Stir in stock powder/cube, red palm oil, and salt to taste.
Stir in the spinach leaves. If they are large, you can shred them first.
Steam koki beans
Place a piece of aluminum foil in a small bowl. Add a banana leaf or some parchment paper.
Pour the batter into the banana leaf or parchment paper. Fold up the sides of the banana leaf/parchment paper and close the aluminum foil around the package to seal it.
Keep making packages until you run out of batter.
Place a spacer, such as a steamer basket, a small cooking rack, lid of a bamboo steamer, or some aluminum foil in a large pot. Pour in a few cm of water.
Place the koki packages on top of the spacer. The packages should not sit in the water.
Steam for 60-75 minutes. Refill water as needed
Prepare sides and serve
While steaming the koki beans, prepare any side dishes, such as boiled plantain.
If boiling plantain: peel and divide into 2-3 parts. Boil in lightly salted water for 15-25 minutes.
When the koki bean packages have finished steaming, remove them from the pot. Let them cool enough to handle, then open the packages and enjoy with your side of choice.