Here is how we cook ikokore with tomatoes. Ikokore is one delicious meal I love and used to call ekpang right unti I started blogging a few years back and someone corrected me that it’s called ikokore not ekpang nkwukwor, it was then I realised that ikokore unlike ekpang, even though it’s grated water yam, unlike when we cook ekpang nkwukwor, it’s not wrapped in green vegetables. What I do to add green vegetables to all my ikokore recipes is just chop the uziza, ugu, amaranth or scent leaves and sprinkle when the meal is ready, just before turning off the heat. In some parts of Nigeria, people call both ekpang because they are from one mother… water yam and cooked almost the same way.
Ikokore is delicious with tomatoes, when you try to imagine ikokore and fresh tomatoes, it doesn’t seem balanced at all in the head but in the pot it does and in the taste buds too, they both rhyme like twinkle twinkle little star.
Honestly and truthfully typing, this pot of ikokore didn’t see the light of the following day. There was no left over and in the morning, some wanted it for breakfast but were ‘told the pot is empty’
Before you start cooking
First chop or dice the fresh ripe tomatoes and set aside. Wash and cut green vegetables and set aside. Grate the water yam. If you are cooking with meat, boil with salt and onion till almost cooked, then set aside. Boil water to use. Get all the ingredients ready before you commence cooking.
INGREDIENTS:
2 kg small water yam
1 kg meat
1/2 cup ground crayfish
2 seasoning cubes or more to your taste
Salt to taste
2 cups palm oil
1 bunch amaranth (Aleho vegetables)
2 medium sized onion
1 tablespoon ground fresh pepper. ( you can add more pepper if you want)
Hot water
You need boiling water to help harden the water yam balls in the pot and start cooking immediately.
IKOKORE WITH TOMATOES PROCEDURE
- Fry the tomatoes, onion, pepper and crayfish in hot oil till onion becomes translucent.
- Add the meat or fish stock you set aside. Stir and check for salt, if it’s not enough, you are free to adjust with salt and seasoning to taste. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Drop the grated water yam into the boiling pot in tiny balls until you are done, then cover to boil for about 2 minutes without stirring.
- Stir the now hardened balls and check for taste again. Cover and let it ball again for another two minutes or more be remember to check frequently and stir well if you don’t like large balls. Stirring will help reduce the size of the water yam balls and create more sauce for you. If you prefer your balls large, then stir less.
- Take one or two balls out and check for doneness by tasting. If it’s not cooked, cover to cook more. If it’s done, you can now add the already cooked meat that was set aside. Stir and cover to simmer for about a minute.
- Add the green vegetables and stir well. Check for taste. Give it like 30 seconds to 1 minute before turning off the heat.
- Serve with eba if you like it that way or just serve with some cold zobo drink and enjoy it hot!
