Koki (Bean Cakes) is a traditional Cameroonian recipe for a classic accompaniment of bean, palm oil and chilli cakes that are steamed in banana leaves. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Cameroonian version of: Bean Cakes (Koki).
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These are classic bean cakes cooked in banana leaves. They are the Cameroonian equivalent of Nigerian moinmoin.
Ingredients:
500g white beans (koki)
2 hot chillies
500ml water
300ml red palm oil
salt, to taste
banana leaves (or kitchen foil), to steam
Method:
Pick over and wash the beans, place in a bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak over night.
The following day drain the beans, place in a bowl, cover with water then rub the beans together to remove the skins. Wash the beans again so that all the beans float away.
Remove the midrib from some banana leave and use these to line the base of a cooking pot. Pour in 1l water and bring to a boil (alternatively use kitchen foil). If using leaves, lay these over one another, overlapping them into a basket-like pattern.
Place the beans in a food processor with the chillies. Chop then mix in about half the palm oil, until you have a smooth paste. Turn into a bowl and wait until the oil has been absorbed, then mix in the remaining red palm oil.
Season to taste with salt then gradually work 250ml of the water into the beans. Mix the batter for 5 minutes then work in the remaining water.
Pour the resultant batter (the koki) into the leaf-lined pan. Close the leaves over the batter and secure with twine.
Put a lid on the pot and simmer very gently for 4 hours. Serve hot with yam, cassava or plantain and a tomato or greens based sauce.
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