Ekwang (Ekpang Nkukwo)
So you’ve heard that ekwang is tedious, time consuming to make but still crave it… long for it …and want to make it.
You are not alone!
I am going to show you how to make it and a few pointers and short cuts to satisfy your craving.
It’s pretty popular in the southwest part of the country.
Ekwang also known as ekpang nkukwo is a traditional Nigerian and dish native to the Efiks and Ibibios. It is also widely enjoyed in Cameroon and very popular with the Bakweri tribe in
It is made of freshly grated cocoyam, then wrapped in leafy greens and slowly simmered with various types of fresh or smoked meat, fish, crayfish, red oil and other spices depending on the cooks preference until cooked to perfection.
Keep this in consideration when making ekwang.
- There are many varieties of cocoyam, for this recipe, the red cocoyam is best. However, you can use white ones with good results, but you have to dry it out. Buy it a couple of days before using it and let it dry out before you clean and use it.
- Although it is traditionally made with cocoyam leaves or sweet bitter leaves, you can use any fresh leafy greens available such as collard greens, spinach, or even romaine lettuce, or a combination. What I use depends on what is available. Pick the ones without holes or tears.
- If you have a grater and are up for it, then, by all means, use it. But the majority of us don’t have the time to grate the cocoyam, so to shorten this process you can use a food processor to grate the cocoyam.
- Keep the stirring to a minimum to prevent the ekwang from becoming mushy.
Watch How To Make It
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Ekwang ( Ekpang Nkukwo )
Ingredients
- 4 pounds cocoyam
- 4-5 bunch leafy greens cocoyam leaves, collard greens, spinach, romaine lettuce
- ½ pound boiled meat beef
- 1-2 cups dried fish
- ½ cup ground crayfish
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 1 1/2 -2 cups palm oil /red oil
- 1 tablespoon bouillon granules / Maggie
- 1 tablespoon ground country onions optional
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper or any hot pepper optional
- 1 teapoons bitter leaf optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the beef in bite size chunks, season with salt, Maggi, and onions and cook until tender. make sure you have at least 2 to 3 cups of stock from the beef. to use in cooking this dish.
- Peel Coco yam with a sharp knife, peeling away from your body carefully draw the paring knife down the body of the yam, being careful not to remove too much of the yam in during the process.
- Look for any spoiled spots, such as bruising and discoloration, in the Cocoyam as you peel. Remove the spots away with the tip of the knife.
- Cut into large chunks and wash immediately to prevent discoloration and leave them in cool water until ready to use.
- Pulse the cocoyam in a food processor with until puree or use a grater to grate the cocoyam. Lightly salt and set aside.
- Wash leaves and tear them into medium pieces, making sure there are no tears or holes in the leaves.
- Oil a large pot with about ½ cup of palm oil. Set aside
- Scoop a tablespoon or so of grated cocoyam mixture onto a leaf and wrap tightly (to form the shape of fingers) making sure the cocoyam is not sticking out.
- Arrange wrapped cocoyam fingers in the oil pot in a circle leaving a hole in the middle. Repeat until cocoyam mixture has been completely used up.
- In a separate pot bring about 7 cups of water to a boil.
- Add chopped onions, crayfish, fish, meat, salt, pepper, bouillon cubes, palm oil, and country onions to the pot.
- Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, there should be no stirring at this point until most of the ekwang firms up- add about 1/2 cup of beef stock to prevent any burns.
- Then after ekwang firms up add about all the beef stock if you have any with about 3 cups water or just use 4-6 cups of hot water or more to the pot and let it cook on medium heat for about an hour until fully cooked. You may add more water to prevent burns.
- Stirring should be kept at a minimum- to prevent the ekwang from becoming mushy.
- Adjust for ekpang consistency with water, salt and pepper.
Nutrition Information:
Thanks for the recipe ma’am
Each time I make my ekwang it comes out delicious with little or no soup meanwhile I put much water. I don’t know if it becomes thick as a result of too much stirring or what…please help me
I’m so glad you like the flavor. It’s best not to stir until it firms up, and even then, you want to keep stirring at a minimum so it doesn’t get mushy and thicken your soup. Hope that helps.
I love this recepie
Awesome!!! Can’t wait to know how it turns out for you.
Maam please can I use unripe banana to prepare it or plantain
Hello< I have not tried it with unripe banana - so can say for sure.
You a such a wonderful woman. I love the way you always take you time to respond to positively and constructively. I’m a big fan of yours and love your attractive cookings . Thank you very much or whom you are. And keep up the good job! God bless your family.
Awwww.. this made me smile. Thank you so much for the kind words! God bless you too 🙂 !
Well DONE sister,
Ekpankukwo is prepared using cocoyam and small quantity of wateryam; cut, washed and parboiled in salt shelled perewinkles; scent leaves. Before wrapping youll add little water and mix the puree.Some people react to cocoyam leaves so we use ugu leaves to wrap the puree. At a particular stage, you’ll use knife to cut through while cooking (no turning with spoon). What you made looks more like Cameroon ekwang not Nigerian ekpangnkukwo….you are doing a great job. Once again, welldone
But Ekwang is Ekwang. Let’s enjoy good food.
I tried this recipe today and I wrapped the grated cocoyams with turnip greens.
It turned out DELICIOUS .
Thank you Imma for sharing
Hi Ruthy. You are welcome! I am glad you loved it!
Hello, thank you for your site. I’m learning to cook. Please, what type of cooking pot can be used to cook the ekpang nkukwo. Thank you and God bless.
Hello, Any pot with a wide surface works – preferably non-stick pot.
Thanks Immaculate bites. This was a lovely, easy to understand, simple recipe with great pictures. I got a new tip from u today – using Romaine lettuce to wrap Ekpang. I made Ekpang yesterday using wateryam, cocoyam and wrapping in spring green leaves. I initially attempted to wrap in spinach leaves but the spinach leaves were too small and cumbersome so I gave up and stuck to spring greens which had larger leaves…..
I know what you mean about spinach leaves – I always get the big leafy ones. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts
Is this cuisinart blender same as the one you have?
Cuisinart FP-14DCN Elite Collection 2.0 14-Cup Food Processor Die Cast .
I am looking for a good blender that can blend the cocoyam like the one you have. But it seems what you have is very pricey lol. Is there another alternative which can do samething but not too expensive? Is the above mentioned same as what you have?. I have black and decker but it doesn’t puree it well, very frustrating. I guess it’s not powerful enough.
Yes, that’s the same one. You can get the smaller version (7 cups) it’s cheaper but still do the job. Might take you a bit longer . I have heard good things about Farberware and kitchen aid.Which one do you have Kelsey?
I have Hamilton beach. But it doesn’t puree well. Doesn’t make it smooth
Yeah, that is not powerful enough. It wouldn’t do the Job.
Hello Imma,That was a short and detailed video.
Once this Ekwang is ready is that how you eat it with the leaves wrapped around it?Thanks.
Hi Eselydee! Yes, it is eaten with the leaves on :). You should try it. You would love it!
Thanks for the recipe
You’re welcome!!!
This has helped me,as i intend cooking it tmrw for my first time.when do i add the Maggi,salt,pepper et al,after the ekwang must have firmed up or before?
Am i also allowed to add oïl during the cooking process?
You add it before the ekwang firms and you are allowed to add oil during the cooking process.
thanks for sharing ,please can water yam be used instead of coco yam? and can ugwu leaves be used if one cannot find cocoyam leaves ?
I have never tried it with these ingredients. Or tried cooking with water yam. So I can’t give you a definite answer. Sorry.
Hi Ajibola,
Yes, u can use water yam, cassava or even a mix of all three. My mum used to make Ekpang with either cassava, water yam or cocoyam or a mix of whatever was available but water yam and cocoyam are the main ingredients.
Yes, u can wrap with Ugwu leaves as well. Living in the diaspora has made us experiment with loads of greens – spring greens, ugwu, romaine lettuce, spinach etc. Dont be afraid to experiment.
Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
Yes you can. Cooked mine yesterday I used cocoyam and water yam mixed together
Wateryams works too can be used as a substitute, infact it can be mixed too if you don’t have enough cocoyams, although I personally prefer the red cocoyams more than the rest.