Skip to main content

Ikokore : An Ijebu Food

Ifokore, is a Yam Pottage dish made with Water Yam  not White Yam. It is a pottage recipe from the Ijebu people of Ogun state and ijebu from Lagos state , Nigeria. I’m yet to come across an Ijebu person who doesn’t love Ikokore,  Ikokore remains a staple in an ijebu household. To really enjoy Ikokore, you’ll need to incorporate as much proteins as you possibly can to enrich it. Your best bets are Shaki, ( intestine ) Ponmo, Chicken, Goat meat, Gizzard, Smoked Turkey, Smoked Fish, Panla, Eja Kika, the more the merrier.

The authentic Ikokore recipe requires no blended pepper, it calls for just Scotch Bonnet (Ata rodo) and in some cases, dry ground pepper but I’m not too keen on hot and spicy dishes so I settle for Shombo.

Ingredients:
A Tuber of Water yam
3 Cooking spoons Palm Oil
4 Cups Chicken or Beef Stock/ Water
#100 Shombo/Tatashe or 4Tablespoons dry ground pepper
#50 Scotch Bonnet (ata Rodo)
Smoked Fish (Eja Kika) or Shawa (Bonga fish)Shredded  (Optional)
Dried Fish (Panla) Shredded (Optional)
Shredded cooked Meats
#100  Crayfish
1/2 Cup Smoked Prawns (Optional)
Ogiri Ijebu (Fermented Locust Beans)
2 Knorr Chicken Cubes
Salt to taste

Preparation:
Slice your water yam into small pieces. Peel each piece then grate using the smallest part of your grater.

Blend the Shombo/Tatashe and Scotch Bonnet till smooth and set aside. If you’re using just Scotch Bonnet, just blend it on it’s own…
Get a medium size pot and place on a hob on medium heat. When it’s hot, add the palm oil, then the Locust Beans, I forgot to add my Locust Beans at this stage. Sauté the Locust Beans for a minute, then add the blended Pepper, then the Knorr Cubes and Salt to taste. If you’re using Stock, do not add salt as your stock is already seasoned…
Leave to fry till oil floats to the top. This should take 10 minutes thereabouts, stir every now and then to prevent burning…
If you’re using just Dry Ground Pepper or Scotch Bonnet (Ata Rodo), add the Ground pepper or Blended Scotch Bonnet into the palm oil and continue with the other steps, skip the pepper frying process.
Now, add the Chicken /Beef Stock if you’re using any, if you haven’t got Stock, just add water, continue to cook for 5minutes.
Add the Shredded Cooked Meats, Fish and Smoked Prawns, any other proteins you’re using, then the Ogiri, 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 you can stir a bit you can use a wooden spoon. Stir and break up clumps if you find it too clumpy or leave as it is if you don’t mind. Now, taste for salt and seasoning.
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 clumps.
Leave to simmer for 3 – 5 minutes and it’s ready.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

most read

Tricycle Agreement form/Higher purchase

BETWEEN NAME HERE…………………………………………….OWNER of Aba North L. G. A. Abia State. AND NAME HERE…………………...……………………….HIRER of Osisioma L. G. A. Abia State. IN RE: CARTER MOTORCYCLE WITH REGISTRATION NUMBER KGE822 VALUED AT FOUR HUNDRED AND TEN  THOUSAND NAIRA (N410,000.00) DOCUMENTED BY: CHIKE EZE DANIEL ESQ., OF CAR HIRE & CO.,  IHDULE CHAMBERS, 8 AFIKPO ROAD, ABAKALIKI, HIRE PURCHASE AGREEMENT made this …………………………. day of …………………2014 BETWEEN NAME HERE of Chukwudi Umoh, of Aba north L. G. A. Abia State.  Nigeria (herein referred to as the “OWNER”) of the one part. AND NAME HERE of Azuiyiokwu Inyimagu,  Osisioma L. G. A. Abia State. State of ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Newborn baby wakes up at own funeral.

The Hospital in Delhi has sacked two doctors. A newborn baby that had been declared dead by doctors in India 'woke up' moments before his funeral. Police and government enquiries are under way and two doctors have been sacked following the incident at the  Hospital in north west Delhi. The boy and his twin sister were born prematurely at 7.35am last Thursday, but the girl was stillborn and the boy pronounced dead at 1pm. But an hour later the baby's grandfather  discovered that the body bag the child had been placed in was moving. The boy was then taken to hospital in a critical condition. The baby's family had taken the twins to a burial ground when they noticed one of the children was in fact alive. In a statement, the hospital confirmed it had dismissed Dr AP Mehta and Dr Vishal Gupta. The hospital added: 'This strict action has been taken on the basis of our initial discussions with the expert group and as a reflection of our commitment to higher standar...
Post a Comment
Read more

The People of Ipara Remo in Remo North LG.

Ipara Remo is a town in RemoNorth LG area in Remo division of ogun state, southwestern Nig. Ipara remo with a population of abt 30,000 people is a heterogenous community as it played host to people from different parts of our country Nigeria. It belongs to the group of those towns/communities where inheritance is basically patrilinea; people inherited property and status through their father's lineage and belonged to the father's family and community. It is one of the Remo towns that claim Origination and migration from Ile-ife. Ipara is in the northern part of Remo Division. You approach Ipara town from Saapade. It is a one road town. This is the old Federal road from Lagos – Sagamu – Ode Remo and from Saapade to Ipara. Ipara has boundary with Fidiwo a town-let in Obafemi Owode Local Government in the north. In the South-east, it has boundary with Isara and Ode-Remo. In the West, it has boundary with Obafemi – Owode farm-land with villages. Before the Lagos  Iba...
1 comment
Read more

FULL TEXT OF ADEOSUN LATER

14th September, 2018 His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari President, Federal Republic of Nigeria State House Aso Villa Abuja Dear Excellency, Let me commence by thanking you profusely for the honour and privilege of serving under your inspirational leadership. It has been a truly rewarding experience to learn from you and to observe at close quarters your integrity and sense of duty. I have, today, become privy to the findings of the investigation into the allegation made in an online medium that the Certificate of Exemption from National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) that I had presented was not genuine. This has come as a shock to me and I believe that in line with this administration’s focus on integrity, I must do the honourable thing and resign. Your Excellency, kindly permit me to outline some of the background to this matter. I was born and raised in the United Kingdom, indeed my parental family home remains in London. My visits to Nigeria up until the age of thirty-four (34) were holida...
Post a Comment
Read more

Egyptian Lawyer jailed for saying women in ripped jeans should be raped

An Egyptian lawyer has been sentenced to three years in prison for saying that women who wear ripped jeans should be raped in punishment. The lawyer made the remarks on a TV panel show in October, during a debate on a draft law on prostitution. "Are you happy when you see a girl walking down the street with half of her behind showing?" he said. He added: "I say that when a girl walks about like that, it is a patriotic duty to sexually harass her and a national duty to rape her." Mr Wahsh said that women who wore revealing clothing were "inviting men to harass them", and said "protecting morals is more important than protecting borders". The prosecutor brought charges against Mr Wahsh after a public outcry. The National Council for Women's Rights condemned the remarks, saying they were a "flagrant call" for rape, in violation of "everything in the Egyptian constitution". The council has now filed a complaint about th...
Post a Comment
Read more